Tinted Rose
by everythingisok
Summary: Elliot owns a club...Christian's a Dom...What happens when they encounter a young girl? Dark story, No cheating. HEA.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my beautiful readers, I'm finally back! I know it's been a while since I finished Broken Hearted Girl, but my life has been crazy (wonderful, but crazy). I finally stated my new story, and I hope you guys like this one as much as my other stories. Warning: This is a dark story that contains strong elements of BDSM, and sometimes abuse. Another side note, I used to be on the FSOG Facebook page as Lauren, but my Facebook got hacked so I had to delete my account. I'm not creating a new account just yet but if you want to contact me, you can always send me a PM! Also, please forgive any grammar errors, I'm too busy to go through each chapter I written five or so times to pick out tiny errors.**

 **Onward with the story!**

 **Chapter 1-Ecstacy**

"Stressful day?" Elliot slants a knowing brow as Christian shrugs out of his coat and loosens his tie, letting the strip of grey fabric hang loose around his neck.

"Observant, aren't you?"

Elliot waves a dismissive hand. "I'm just saying, you look like you could use a good fuck."

Christian rolls his eyes. "I don't need pussy."

Elliot shrugs. "Sure you don't, you need a submissive. Someone who will allow you to beat her within an inch of her life and then fuck her mindless, make her climax so many times she forgets her own goddamn name."

"How eloquent."

Elliot leans back in his office chair, a wry smile spreading across his lips as he watches Christian roll up his work sleeves, displaying muscular forearms. "I'm only calling it how it is." He comments.

Christian narrows his eyes. "As if you're not a sadist."

Elliot's lips twitch up. "Touché."

Almost at the same, exact moment, the door to Elliot's office cracks open, and Kate peeks her head in.

Upon seeing his sub and soon-to-be wife, Elliot's smile broadens. "Come here, darling." He says, patting his lap.

Kate smiles and hurries over, but at the last second, swoop her eyelashes down in a submissive gesture.

Christian takes this as his cue to leave. Elliot and Kate were a special kind of Dominant and Submissive. They were Husband and Wife, but at the same time, Master and Slave.

Christian, however, didn't worry too much about Kate. The girl knew how to hold her own ground, and she already had Elliot by the balls. She knew how not to allow Elliot's dominant nature to bully her into agreeing to things she won't normally agree to do outside the scene, and their banter showed that she wasn't afraid of Elliot. Just the opposite, Christian thought that, sometimes, Elliot was afraid of her.

Plus, Elliot wasn't a hardcore Dom like himself, his dominance was more psychological than physical. Elliot enjoyed control, but he was never heavy handed. Although, Christian had to hand it to his brother, his punishments tended to get creative.

Shaking his head, Christian makes his way back out to the club. Ecstasy was the BDSM club Elliot owned. Like most BDSM clubs, it couldn't be located in the heart of the city. Bondage and whips were far too taboo for everyday people passing by. Instead, it was located right next to a run-down warehouse, the box shaped building hiding the club's true purpose, and although it wasn't the safest place in town, Elliot hired 24/7 security, not to mention Taylor.

One of the club girls nodded at Christian and bowed her head as he emerges on the main floor. Christian nodded back, politely declining her offer.

After all, blondes were not his thing.

To be honest, Christian didn't come here to fuck like Elliot suggested. Sure, he was stressed and having an intense session would help ease his mind, but he was also selective about who he chose to be his submissive.

Unlike Elliot, Christian was a hardcore Dom, and he was about as extreme as they came. He didn't mess around with a girl's feelings, and if he were to enter a contract with someone, he always made sure they knew that. He told them straight up that he was sadist, that he didn't want the heart and flowers bullshit, that he was going to enjoy watching them cry and beg for his mercy, and after all of that, if the girl stayed, it was her choice.

He may be a sadist, but he wasn't a monster. All of his participants were more than willing and craved the pain as much as he craved handing out the pain. It was for this reason that all of his submissive were well experienced. They knew what they were getting into and to safeguard their own hearts. Most of them were even slightly older than him since he started so young.

"A whiskey please." Christian calls to the bar tender who grins at him.

"Not much action for you tonight, huh?" Sawyer says, sliding a glass of whiskey over, and Christian chuckles good-naturedly.

"Blow me. No, I just came here to chat and catch up with Elliot, although he's probably buried balls deep inside of Kate by now."

Sawyer chuckles and shakes his head at Christian's crude language. "If one of you ever have kids, the first word out of that child's mouth is going to be fuck."

Christian raises his eyebrow. "Well, you better not tell Elliot that if you still want your job. I'd bet good money that Kate will be pregnant by the end of the month. You know, Elliot always wanted a family and stuff."

Sawyer's eyes soften. He was quite fond of the two brothers. They were good men under all the CEO, don't-fuck-with-me-Dom personas, especially Christian. "No family for you?" He asks, and Christian squints his eyes. He hated it when people brought up the "one day you will want to marry and settle down" stuff.

"Sawyer, you know I'm not the family guy." His voice had a new hardness to it.

Use to Christian mercurial nature, Sawyer waves him off. "Neither is Elliot. I mean, look at this place, it's hardly a playground for kids. Just because someone's into rough and kinky sex doesn't mean that they won't be good parents. You just need to find the right girl."

Christian rolls his eyes. "Do me a favor, cut the philosopher bullshit, will you?"

However, Sawyer was already busy helping another customer.

Christian hangs out a bit more, taking a few sips of whiskey and gazing out into the club. The blonde who previously flicked her lashes at him had found another Dom, and they were doing a scene by the St. Andrew's cross.

Christian allowed his gaze to linger there for a little while, voyeurism was not his thing, although he certainly understood how some people wanted it. The Dom was using a cane on her, although he wasn't using even half the strength Christian would've.

Time continues to tick by as Christian relaxes against the island of the bar. He didn't have anywhere to go, lonely bachelor he is, and he figured this was a good of a place as any.

The buzzing of his phone distracts him, and looking down, Christian sees Elena's name flash across his screen, and he silences his phone.

If they had one thing they disagreed on, Elliot and Christian, it would be Elena. By an unlucky chance of fate, Elliot had caught Elena with Christian at another BDSM club in Seattle, although by that time, the drama of his teenage years had already blown over and they were just friends.

Christian made Elliot swear and even had him sign a non-disclosure agreement that he wouldn't tell a soul, especially Grace. It will break her heart, and neither Elliot nor Christian wanted that, so after the worst fight they ever had that involved physical punches, Elliot reluctantly agreed, but he forced Christian to cut off all business ties with Elena.

To say Elena despised Elliot was an understatement.

Christian usually didn't mind Elena, the rest of the world could think of it however they liked, Elena was his friend, and whatever fucked up relationship they had Christian valued. She taught him discipline, showed him control, made him the master of his own universe, and that was valuable, no matter what. Without Elena, Christian grimaced, he will probably be dead.

However, tonight was not one of those nights Christian had enough energy to put up with Elena. She'll most likely yell at him for being with Elliot, and then, when that doesn't work, she'll be all sweet, asking him how his day was and if he needed anything.

Christian scoffs, _it really was a fucked up world._

XXXXXXXXXX

Elliot hears a knock on his office door, and a second later, Christian steps in, his eyes sweeping over Kate sleeping on the couch in the corner.

Elliot was beside her, her body cradled in his arms with a blanket wrapped around her. Christian's gaze softens. They obviously had an intense scene, and now Kate was fast asleep, her head rested against Elliot's shoulder, trusting him to protect and cherish her.

Elliot made a shush sign with his finger, and Christian nodded, silently stepping out to give them some privacy. Aftercare was an essential part of BDSM, without it, BDSM turns to abuse, and Christian knew most subs craved the gentle, caring side of their dominants as much as they craved the hard ass.

Christian, however, didn't do aftercare. With his touch issue and childhood problems, he couldn't allow a sub to rest her head against his chest, stroke her hair, and caress her skin, but he always hired another club member to do it for him. He knew his sub would be in good care, and that was good enough for him. Plus, cuddling wasn't part of his MO.

Elliot slips out of his office and finds Christian chatting with Sawyer, it was already three in the morning, and most of their guests had already went home to the comfort of their own homes and beds.

"Hey, how's Kate?" Christian asks, knowing how much Elliot hated to leave her after a long session.

Elliot smiles, and Christian can sense a fondness in his eyes at the mention of her name. "She's sleeping like a baby." Elliot answers.

"Yeah, how many times did you make her organism?" Sawyer pipes in and dodges a playful punch as Elliot shakes his head.

"Come on, help me get this place closed up. It's time to go home." Elliott announces.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, wake up miss." A gentle hand shakes Ana awake as her blue eyes fly open.

"Miss?" The person calls again, and Ana looks up to find a handsome man cautiously regarding her. He had bright blonde hair and midnight blue eyes.

"We're closing in fifteen minutes, are you ok?"

Scooting back, Ana winces as her butt scrapes against the leather couch she had accidentally fallen asleep on. Cane welts didn't heal easily.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok. I'll leave." She responds, bowing her head, for the person talking to her was obviously a dominant, and it was polite for a sub to show respect.

"You're hurt." The person comments as Ana struggles to stand up.

"No, I'm ok, I just stood up too fast." Ana answers, her knuckles clasping the back of the couch for support as she struggles to stand.

Son of a bitch.

When were the gods ever going to be in her favor? She did not need another Dom gawking at her right now, she needed to get home. Teddy tended to have sleep problems.

"What's the matter here?"

 _Oh god, there was two of them._

 _Awesome._

"Where's your master? Can I call someone for you?" The guy with the golden blonde hair interjects.

Straightening her back, Ana levels her gaze with Elliot.

"I'm not owned by anyone." She states.

It's not until she heard a soft chuckle did she turn her gaze to the other man standing by her.

"If you're not owned, who did this to you?" Christian gestures, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Your Dom obviously did a number on you, you can barely stand."

Ana grits her teeth.

 _Were all Doms pretentious assholes?_

"I can stand just fine, thank you very much." She spits, and as if to prove her point, she releases her death grip on the couch, but the moment her fingers left the leather, her knees buckle.

Fucking great. She thinks Jose tied the ropes bounding her feet to tight and twisted her ankle.

"Wow, easy darlin', easy." Elliot catches her, wrapping a steady hand around her waist.

"I can stand." Ana protests again, and Elliot shakes his head, shooting her a look that made her shut up.

He carefully picks her up and sets her on a bar stool, and she does her best to hide her wince as her abused buttocks made contact with the hard surface, but of course Eliot notices this and moves her to an adjacent couch instead.

Ana wanted to scream, shout, kick, and punch someone, but as Elliot held her in his arms, the fight want out of her.

Christian comes over as well, handing her a bottle of water, and she gives him a small, grateful smile.

"Just sips now. No sudden movements." Christian admonishes.

Elliot and Christian exchange a look, and Christian knew what Elliot was thinking.

 _Son of a bitch left her in this state._

Christian had to agree, even if he didn't do the whole aftercare and cuddle thing, he always made sure his subs were well cared for. Ecstasy always had servants and massagist you can hire, particularly if a sub required medical attention.

"He's not my master. It's a temporary thing." Ana finally answers both of their unasked question.

Elliot snorts. "Doesn't justify what he did."

Christian squints his eyes, studying Ana closer. She definitely was pretty, there was no doubt about that. Her long lashes framed her sapphires eyes, and her long, brown hair fell in messy waves down her back. She was only wearing a pair of black lace bra and panties, something not uncommon for subs, and Christian could see her rib cage. The thought sickened him, but there was something else…

Something not quite right.

Her face was coated in makeup, the amber eyeshadow hiding the baby blue in her eyes, her lips a dark red, cheek bones well contoured. She seemed older, but under all that makeup…

"You're quite young, aren't you?" Christian finally asks, and he can tell by her startled expression that he hit the bullseye.

Elliot's expression hardens. "How old are you?" He demands, turning towards her.

If what happened with Elena was any indication, Christian could only imagine what would happen to a Dom if Elliot found out he abused a child, in his own club nonetheless.

Ana takes a deep breath. "I'm nineteen. It's legal." She states.

Elliot's gaze remains hard. "Where's your purse?" He asks, and Ana blinks up at him.

"I need to see your ID." Elliot clarifies. He was not taking chances with this.

Ana lowers her gaze. "It's in the locker room...uh...sir." She whispers, her submissive nature recognizing the Dom in him.

Elliot softens, he was a bit harsh. The girl was startled enough. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, didn't mean to snap. You don't have to call me that, I'm Elliot, and this asshole over here is my brother."

Ana flick her lashes upward, and she found herself holding her breath. Christian was handsome (not that Elliot wasn't). He was a different type of handsome. There was a certain energy to him, focused, determined.

Christian leans back against the bar and flashes his teeth. "I'm Christian." He says, and Ana watches the way his muscles move with ease, the way his rose-tinted color lips twitch up, and the way his grey eyes shone. His messy, copper hair was tousled on top, and Ana can trace the outline of his strong jaw. He had the top two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing sun-kissed skin, and his black slacks fitted snugly around his waist.

Ana swallows, and Christian's grin widens as if he knew his effect on her.

"Don't listen to Elliot, he's the real asshole."

"Hey, I heard that." Elliot calls as he comes back with Ana's purse. Well, it wasn't so much of a purse as it was a backpack.

While Ana fishes around for her Id, Christian furrows his eyebrows. It seemed like she carried homework and textbooks in her backpack. Who the fuck does homework in a club?

"Here." Ana whispers, handing Elliot her driver's license.

Elliot glances at the card, it indeed said that she was nineteen. She wasn't lying.

"You're still very young." Elliot swallows, giving her card back.

Ana felt faint. She was really hungry. She needed to go home, needed to get back to Teddy and Phoebe. They needed her.

"Uh…" her hands fumbled with the zipper of her bag. "I need to go...you guys are really kind...My...uh...parents will be wondering will I am." She stutters, hoping they didn't detect her lie.

She had lost her parents long ago.

With that, she tries to stand again, but her legs were so weak. She didn't have enough energy.

"Wow, wow…" Elliot steadies her. "You're not going anywhere. It's too dangerous."

Ana felt a bubble of anger boil up in her. How dare they talk to her like a child. She can take care of herself, she's been doing a damn good job at it for the past 5 years.

"I'm fine. I can call a cab." She says, forcefully standing up and wincing, but she manages to steady herself this time, and with her chin held high, tries to make her way out the door.

But since the gods were never in her favor, she stumbles, and Elliot shakes his head, and she hears Christian's chuckle.

"Stubborn little thing."

Elliot comes around, and Ana all of the sudden had the urge to cry. They were laughing at her.

Furiously, she blinks back tears, her hands shaking. Elliot immediately softens, gently taking hold of her hand and squeezing it.

"Shhh...shhh….it's ok. You're hurt, alright? Let me check you over, and I promise I'll let you go, but not alone. I'm not letting a nineteen year old young girl who has a sprained ankle go out by herself at four in the morning in this type of city. Christian will take you home, I promise, he won't harm you, although he can be quite grumpy sometimes." Eliot attempts to lighten the atmosphere as Ana sniffles.

How did he know she sprained her ankle?

Christian also walks around and crouches in front of her.

"Elliot's right, you know?"

Ana sniffs one last time. "Which part?"

Christian raises his eyebrow, and Ana allows a cheeky smile to grace her face. "Are you grumpy?" She asks.

Elliot's eyes twinkle. "She's something else, isn't she?" He remarks, and Christian also chuckles.

"You keep that attitude up, I'll tan your hide in my car, you hear me?" His tone was obviously teasing, and he ruffled her hair.

Ana grins. "He really is grumpy." She remarks to Elliot whose blue eyes danced in the night.

 **So, what do you guys think so far?**

 **One more note: Since I just started college, my life is extremely busy so I won't be able to respond to all of my reviews and personally thank each one of them, but that doesn't mean they don't make my day and I don't appreciate them! I will still try to respond to some, but please note that sometimes, I just might not have time, but they always make me smile and I love to hear opinions and ideas! Side note to trolls: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything (I'm not talking about constructive criticism, I'm talking about the people who totally disregards the author's feelings and spew mean words)**

 **Also, this is not a cheating story, and I will try my best to update once every 1-2 weeks.**

 **Love you guys, Lauren.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my beautiful readers! I'm back with a new chapter~ So glad you guys enjoyed the first chapter of the book, there's obviously a lot of questions (hopefully some of them will be answered in this new chapter….) Thank you for all the lovely reviews, I tried to respond to some of them, but even if I didn't get to yours, please know that I still appreciate all of them very much!**

 **Review of Chapter 1: Christian and Elliot finds Ana in Elliot's club, Ecstasy, and after discovering Ana's hurt, Elliot and Christian decide Christian will take Ana home.**

 **Chapter 2-The Ride Back**

Ana's sitting in Christian's car, an Audi, and she can't help but run her fingers along the leather seats.

"A beauty, isn't she?" Christian asks, and Ana snorts.

"What is it with boys and their toys?"

Christian places his hand over his heart in mock offense.

"You and your smart mouth." He says, gliding the Audi through the empty streets in Seattle. "It's going to land you in trouble someday."

Now it's Ana's turn to be offended. "I call it being witty."

"Or a smart ass."

Ana can't help but giggle, and Christian smiles back warmly.

He wasn't interested in her. He told himself. He was not right for her, the girl obviously had her own share of problems, she did not need a sadist added to the mix, but still, she was cute, free spirited, and Christian can't help but feel an urge of possessiveness sweep over him.

His knuckles tighten on the wheel at the thought of the Dom who hurt her. Elliot has wrapped her ankle, being a previous pre-med major and all, but she was hurt in other ways as well, Christian can tell. Her Dom left her vulnerable, and he didn't care to look after that vulnerability.

"How did you get into this lifestyle?" Christian asks, and Ana stiffens.

"You don't have to tell me, I was just curious since you're so young." Christian quickly adds.

Gazing out the window, Ana shrugs. "I guess I always craved pain, and it sort of...just happened."

Christian narrows his gaze. He can sense a lie like a bloodhound, and all of his instincts told him she was lying, or at the very least not telling the whole truth.

"You don't have a long-term Dom?" He decides to not push the matter. After all, he had his own demons.

Ana shakes her head. "No, I don't do the whole commitment thing."

Christian lifts his eyebrows in surprise, and Ana elaborates.

"I'm not really a hearts and flowers sort of girl, all of that stuff is bullshit anyway, one partner always ends up leaving."

Christian manages a wry smile. "Seems like I was mistaken then. Oh darn, I was going to buy you a box of valentine's chocolate."

Ana laughs. "You flatter yourself, what makes you think I was going to accept your chocolate?"

"Ouch, you're going to bruise my fragile Dom ego."

XXXXXXXXXX

As they continue to drive, Ana begins to fidget more. Truthfully, she didn't want Christian to see her home. It wasn't much.

Ana didn't care about saving face, and she knew she was poor, but she didn't want Teddy and Phoebe to wake up. They will ask questions. Questions she didn't want to answer, and Christian will have questions too.

"This is where you live?" Christian tries to hide the disdain from his voice.

They were in a trailer park with empty fields on either side. Most of the trailers were broken or run down. An old guy sat out in the dark smoking a cigar, and Ana nods at him.

"Yeah...it's not pretty." Ana admits, knotting her fingers in her lap.

"A girl like you shouldn't be living here."

Ana feels the familiar tears sting her eyes. "It's the best I got." She whispers, the familiar guilt pinching her. She should've been able to provide for Teddy and Phoebe better.

Christian racks his gaze over the deserted trailer park and looks back at Ana, her head bowed, fingers in her lap, shaking because her jacket wasn't warm enough, and he reaches over, clasping his hand over her skinny fingers.

"You don't have parents, do you?" He asks, and Ana shakes her head.

No point in lying now.

Christian's grey eyes fill with compassion. "Hey, I'm not here to judge. Why don't you show me your home, yeah?"

His voice was impossibly gentle.

Ana shrinks back further. "No, I just want to go home. You can drop me off here. I'm fine. Thank you for the ride, and tell Elliot thank you too. You guys have already done too much."

Christian's lip tightens. He can sense her walls building themselves back up, whatever traces of humor they shared has now vanished. Christian knows what it's like to hide. He's not going to allow her to hide.

Christian can't explain why, but something about Ana spoke to him, and he had the compulsive need to protect her, provide for her, punish her.

As the last thought enter his head, Christian immediately gives himself a mental kick. What the fuck? He didn't want to punish her. He was not sexually attracted to her.

 _Liar._

Ok, so he wanted to punish her since the first time she opened that smart mouth, but that was just the sadist inside of him speaking.

"I'm walking you to the door." Christian states in a tone that broke no argument.

"No, it's really ok...I…"

"Ana." Christian warns, and her shoulders slump in defeat.

The Audi looked funny parked in her front yard. The engineering piece of art contrasted sharply against the small, inadequate trailers, like a peacock amongst a bunch of chickens.

Christian places his hand lightly on the small of her back as Ana fumbles with her key.

 _Hopefully, Phoebe and Teddy will remain asleep…_

"Ana?" Phoebe's voice distracts her.

God damn it.

Christian startles up, staring at the small girl by the doorway. She was wearing a t-shirt two sizes two big on her and flannel PJ bottoms. She was about seven and looked identical to Ana with blue eyes and soft, brown curls.

Christian was not expecting a child.

If Phoebe is seven, and Ana's nineteen, then that means…

"It's not like that." Ana quietly says, picking Phoebe up as the little girl continues to stare at Christian.

"She's my sister, and Teddy is her twin." Ana says, pointing to a small boy fast asleep in the middle of the only bed in the house. The bed was big enough for the two young kids.

Christian is speechless.

"You take care of them?" He asks. "By yourself?"

His eyes are wide with shock.

Ana turns her head, and Christian can see that she's hiding tears. "Can we not have this talk? Not in front of the kids, please." She whispers.

"Ana, who's this?" Phoebe asks, pointing at Christian.

Ana smiles, blinking back tears. "This is Christian. He's a friend." She says.

Christian bows, picking up Phoebe's hand and pressing a kiss to it.

"Your highness."

Phoebe giggles and squirms with laughter as Ana softens.

"Annie." Phoebe whispers after her laughter has died down. "I'm hungry."

Ana crouches down, ignoring Christian for the second, and searches around in her backpack, pulling out a small package of cookies.

"This is all I have for now." She tells Phoebe. "But don't worry, I got money today, so I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow. Make sure you save two for Teddy."

Phoebe nods, happily munching on the cookie, and Christian observes the little girl. She wasn't hungry. He can tell she was well fed and taken care of, same with the little boy.

Their sister on the other hand…

"Ana." Christian's voice is pained. "Let me go get something, alright? Is McDonalds ok? You need to eat also."

Ana shakes her head. "I'm alright."

"No, I'm not just going to stand here and watch you go hungry." Christian's voice raises, and Ana shushes him.

"Shhh, you're going to wake up Teddy." She scolds, and Phoebe's eyes dart between them, only now realizing that her big sister that provides for everything might be hungry also.

Tentatively, she holds up her half-eaten cookie, offering it to Ana.

Ana gives a little laugh. "It's ok Phoebe, you eat it."

Christian tightens his jaw.

"I'll be back."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana blows out a sigh as Christian closes the door behind him.

 _What has she gotten herself into?_

"Come on Phoebe, time for bed." She announces, scooping the little girl up in her arms and laying her on the mattress.

"Ana." Phoebe whispers. "I think Christian's a good guy."

A tiny smile kisses Ana's lips. "Yes Phoebe."

"I think you guys look cute together."

Ana slants an eyebrow at Phoebe, and she just giggles as Ana lies her down in bed and kisses her goodnight.

XXXXXXXXXX

Christian was surprised to see Ana waiting on the front step. She has changed into a sweatshirt that was too big on her as well as pajama shorts, and she was smoking a cigarette.

Christian's blood boils at the thought of her sitting in the dark, unprotected, and his rage only further increases with the smell of a cigarette. Didn't she know about lung cancer?

He would like to help break her of the habit with a hard caning.

Ana's gaze flicker to Christian. After a shower, she's more put together. Her armor was back in place, and she now had the courage to deal with the pretentious asshole. She didn't need help. She never did, and she never will. She was used to keeping the world at arm's length. She has learned to lock herself up in her own soul and build a wall around herself so no predator can hurt her.

"Do you have no concerns for your safety?" Christian growls, stepping out of his Audi.

Ana blows a puff of smoke at him, and Christian stiffens at the smell. He hated cigarettes.

"Who are you? My dad?"

"You keep this attitude up, I'll spank you out here."

Ana rolls her eyes. "Yeah, big talk, asshole."

Christian recognizes her tactic. Her shields were back. When they found her at the club, she was still vulnerable, hurt, but now that she had time to gather herself, she wanted to push him away.

Christian understood. His whole life, he pushed everyone away. Life has taught him not to trust people, and she probably had the same lessons enforced.

"I brought you McDonalds, and happy meals for Phoebe and Teddy." Christian says, handing Ana a grocery bag.

Ana's mouth tries not to water at the smell of obscure amount of oil and unhealthy levels of sodium.

She sniffs the bag and hands it back. "No thank you."

"Ana." Christian grits his teeth.

"I don't want pity. I know you're rich, but I can take care of myself. You don't need to be my knight in shining armor."

Before Ana can react, Christian's hand comes around her, and spinning her around, he steadies her against the wall of the trailer.

 _Smack_.

His hand briefly connects with her already throbbing bottom. It wasn't a hard smack, but it did sting.

"That's a warning." Christian says, helping her back around as Ana glares at him.

"How fucking dare you." She seethes. "I'm not you fucking sub or toy."

Christian shrugs. "Go ahead, scream Bloody Mary."

Ana narrows her eyes. The boy sure had balls.

Christian leans against the Audi, and Ana forces herself to swallow. He definitely was handsome, in that sleek, muscular sort of way. His grey eyes shone in the dark night, and she can see the flex of his muscles underneath his white shirt. He smelled like wood and peppermint mixed with a hint of rum and his lips curve in a smile.

But handsome guys weren't something she could afford. She has learned a long time ago that men can't be trusted. It was better to stand on her own two feet. She needed to snap out of this.

"The reason why you want to the club was to make money, wasn't it?" Christian asks, although there wasn't a trace of judgment in his voice.

"You sell your body so you can provide for those two little ones." Christian gestures towards the trailer behind her, where Teddy and Phoebe were sound asleep.

Ana bites her tongue hard.

"You don't know me." Ana states, blue eyes cold.

Christian cocks his head to the side. "I know more than you think, Anastasia."

Anastasia. Her real name. Where did he get that?

Christian can tell he hit a nerve. Ana was trembling with quiet anger. Her walls were strong, resistant to wind and storms, but he had broken a small barrier, and now she was using anger as her defense. Anger could push people away. Fast.

"Christian." Ana clenches her fist. "You don't know my life. You haven't walked in my shoes."

Christian nods, calm. "I don't." He agrees. "I'm just trying to understand."

His calmness only infuriated Ana further. _Was this a joke to him?_

"I need you to leave."

"That's not going to happen. You haven't ate yet."

Ana inhales deeply through her nose, mentally counting to ten.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you have no business in my life. We clearly are from separate worlds. You're nobody to me. I don't take orders from you."

Christian seems unbothered by her outburst. "Sweetheart, I just want you to eat something." He says.

Ana wishes she could swallow her pride. She was hungry after all, but she couldn't. She'll take the happy meals for Teddy and Phoebe because they didn't deserve to be hungry, but she wasn't going to touch that McDonald's bag. She was done with men in her life trying to control her.

Ana lifts her chin, tossing her hair back. "Goodbye Christian."

XXXXXXXXXX

Christian tosses and turns at night. He should let Ana go, she shouldn't bother him. Sure, he felt compassionate towards her, and she clearly was smart, determined. If she worked hard enough, she could make it in this world. She was already halfway there.

But something about her intrigued him, the defiant spark in her eyes, the way she scooped Phoebe up, the way she sassed him, but also the way her shoulders shook as she tried to fight her tears, the way she insisted on smiling even though he can tell she's falling apart inside.

Christian scans her background check again.

Fuck, the girl was incredible.

Graduated top of her class, she's double majoring in literature and psychology at Washington University, ran away from home when she was 15, took care of her brother and sister all by herself, paid for her own tuition, rent, groceries, and the fees for the two little ones all by herself.

If it wasn't for yesterday, Christian wouldn't know how she managed all the finances on her thin shoulders because the waitressing job she did on the side certainly couldn't afford all of that.

Christian thinks about last night, how hurt and vulnerable she was, and his shoulders stiffen. The mere thought that she needed to sell her body in order to survive made Christian's heart break in two.

Welch couldn't pull up any information about why she left her parents, or her parents themselves. Her mother was a drug addict, and her father left when she was a baby, but there wasn't any more on them.

Christian splashes cold water on his face, clearing his head. He shouldn't want her, but at the same time he couldn't fight the desire growing in his chest. He wanted to devour her, make her cry, have her orgasm so many times that she forgets about everything except him, but afterwards, he also wanted to cradle her, sooth the spots that hurt, dare he say, he wanted to cuddle her

Christian snorts. Since when did cuddling become part of his MO?

He needed a session with Claud.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana splashes cold water on her face. Get your head out of your ass. She told herself. Christian's not worth it. She brushes her teeth, combs, and braids her hair. She needed to get Teddy and Phoebe ready for school, and then she had a 9am as well.

"Look, Annie! It's Christian!" Phoebe claps her hand, pointing at the old TV set.

"What the…" Ana walks around, and sure enough, Christian's face was on television.

"Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise, has been elected Seattle's hottest bachelor…" The reporter with bright, please-fuck-me lipstick and fake boobs announces cheerfully.

Ana didn't care much about the celebrity or business world so she hasn't heard of Christian Grey before.

 _This is fucking awesome, the psycho Dom who took her home last night just so happens to be a multi-billionaire and Seattle's hottest bachelor. Her life really was a joke._

"Ana, when will we see Christian again?" Phoebe asks, and Ana sighs.

This is exactly what she feared. This is why she never brought guys home. Without a father figure, Teddy and Phoebe attached themselves to any male with a click of a finger, craving that fatherly love that she couldn't provide, but Ana couldn't risk that. If the guy ended up leaving, it will kill Phoebe. It will be a second time a guy who was supposed to be important to her ends up leaving. Ana didn't want that for Phoebe, she didn't want her to experience that pain. She wanted to save her from all the heartache out there in this cruel, cruel world.

But Ana remembers the way Phoebe giggled when Christian kissed her hand. Phoebe has never been treated with such kindness from a guy before, much less one so charming. She bet Christian made her feel special when he did that.

Every little girl wanted to feel special.

Ana sighs, kissing Phoebe's forehead. "I don't know sweet pea."

Ana gets up and momentarily opens the front door to let some fresh air in since the trailer had no AC.

At the bottom of the step was a McDonald's bag, by some miracle, it was still warm.

On the bag, a note read:

 _Anastasia, please eat, Phoebe and Teddy needs you._

 _Christian._

 **A/N: So what do you guys think? Please review~~~It makes my day ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N-Hello my lovelies! I'm finally back from another week of classes, I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this so much and thank you for all the reviews! They really do ALL make my day and I appreciate them so much~~~**

 **Chapter 3-The Dark Knight With a Tinted Rose **

Christian wasn't stalking Ana.

No, that was ridiculous.

Ok, so maybe he was waiting for her outside the University of Washing, hiding in his grey Audi, but that wasn't stalking, was it? He merely wanted to see if she ate the breakfast he got her, and he may have googled her location, but stalking?

No, no, what he was doing was still a far cry from stalking, he told himself.

Just then, Christian spots Ana. Her head was down, her hair secured in a loose French braid, and she had a black L.L bean backpack slung over one of her shoulder. Christian watches as she checks her watch and quickens her footsteps, no doubt late for a class. In her hand was the McDonald's bag he had Taylor leave her this morning.

Christian smiles at the thought.

 _Jesus, he needed to stop fantasizing about her. He did his part, took her home. She was alright. He needed to move on. He couldn't have a girl like her. For one thing, she needed to take care of two young kids. Christian didn't do well with children._

Christian's phone rings, and seeing it's Elliot, he picks it up.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"So..." Elliot starts, "I did some digging…"

"And?" Christian prompts, trying to not sound eager for information, but damn it, he wanted to know everything about her.

"Ana's an online submissive, she charges Doms for a session. She doesn't have any hard limits…" Elliot continues in a steady voice, but Christian can tell he's shaken up.

"I…Jesus Christian man." Elliot eventually curses, and Christian knows there's more. "She must have started young, like very young. What can possibly cause a young girl to begin this type of lifestyle? I know I'm being a hypocrite since I run a club, but still, can you imagine what her father would feel like if he knew?"

"She doesn't have parents. She takes care of two young kids. They're both seven, and they are her brother and sister." Christian answers.

"Fuck."

"I know." Christian agrees and, after a pause, continues. "I can't get her to accept any money, she gave me hell last night for a simple big mac, the girl is extremely independent, not to mention sassy."

The line on the other end is quiet.

"You like her, don't you?" Elliot finally asks.

Christian doesn't question Elliot's intuition. His brother had an almost-unnerving way of reading people.

"Yeah, I do."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey!" Ros snaps her finger. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Grey?"

They were sitting in a conference meeting with Welch, and Christian couldn't focus, staring at his computer screen.

"Sorry." He half-heartedly mutters and continues to stare at his computer.

He was looking at Ana's profile.

She charges 700 dollars a session, and Christian doesn't know if he's mad or sad.

 _How can she expose herself like this? Was her body not precious to her?_

Christian's eyes scan over her profile picture once again. It was of her kneeling in the full submissive posture, arms stretched on the ground before her, body folded over, head touching the floor. It was the same posture of the child pose in yoga, but it held more of a submissive element. For one thing, she was completely naked, revealing gorgeous, alabaster skin, and Christian can count each vertebrae of her spine. Her boobs were pressed against the cold, hard tile of the floor. Christian imagines them in his palms, soft and yielding. She looked beautiful, submissive yet fierce, as if daring a Dom to fuck her.

Her profile was titled: _Tinted Rose._

In the background, Christian briefly registers Ros talking about some company named SIP, but his finger continues to hover over the red "create an account" button.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana lets out a soft snort as her phone dings.

 _The Dark Knight?_

 _Really?_

 _Why couldn't any Dom come up with some sort of original username? Plus, she didn't need any knight to be her savior dressed in shining armor carrying a whip._

But, nevertheless, it was rare to get two offers in a row, and knowing that her tuition is due in a month and the grocery supply was running low back home, Ana agrees without hesitation and scans the new profile on her phone.

He was a pretty standard Dom, but his profile picture was that of a grey wolf perched on top of a mountain in the forest, staring straight at the camera.

A shiver travels down her back.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana enters Ecstasy at 9:45, knowing that she had to be ready by 10, and she was grateful that she couldn't spot Elliot or Christian in the club. The last thing she needed was to run into them. Slipping off her robe, Ana enters the private room her Dom for the night has booked and settles herself down on the floor, stretching her arms before her and kneeling on the ground.

This position always left her exposed, vulnerable, and her shins pressed into the hardwood floor, but she didn't mind.

Ana craved pain. It was funny because no human or animal wanted pain, but she did. Pain was a natural response of the body to let you know that something was wrong. A sore throat, for example, reminded you that you had a cold and needed to drink more water, or if you broke a bone, the pain in the body told you that you needed to rest and let your body heal itself, but that wasn't the way pain worked for Ana. Pain provided her with some sort of an escape where it will fill and occupy every thought of her mind so she could be still, all of her horrible thoughts would fly out of her head and she could simply be. Pain provided discipline for her, a way to lose control because she was so damn tired of being in control of everything, paying tuition, taking care of Teddy and Phoebe, making rent, buying groceries, parent-teacher conferences… Pain took all of that away. Pain provided structure for her.

Some masters were kind, some weren't. It just depended on the person, Ana didn't mind. They were the ones paying for her anyway. She was theirs to choose to do as they wished. The club environment was pretty safe with patrols and video cameras protecting her. Plus, she always had her safe word if she needed. Another bonus was the money, the side research job she worked at the university hardly provided for her rent and food, let alone tuition, school supplies, clothes, toys for Teddy and Phoebe… And since she was a natural submissive although her sharp tongue suggested otherwise, Ana welcomed the pain with open arms, as if it were an old friend coming to town.

The reason for her online profile was a straightforward one as well. With BDSM being so taboo, it was hard to tell who was into the lifestyle, and an online platform provided a safe place for everyone. Ana was very careful about choosing a proper website, and she met plenty of doms through it, including the one tonight.

Suddenly, Ana feels a hand lightly touch her shoulder, and her breath hitches. She knew she needed to behave or she'll most likely earn herslef a punishment before the night even begin, not that she cared, but most doms preferred their subs to be obedient at first, and then she could be sassy, earning a proper punishment, providing an outlet for both her dom and herself.

"Anastasia."

At the sound of her name, Ana stiffens. She never went by Anastasia or revealed her true name in any form. Privacy was important in the BDSM world. How did he…

Ana gazes up to find a pair of devastatingly handsome grey eyes.

Christian smiles a wry smile. "I have to say, your profile name suits you, as pretty as a rose…"

"You…"

Ana was speechless, and Christian cocks his head to the side, arrogance personified.

"I?" He questions.

"How did you..?"

"Shhh, you're in no position to be asking questions, I'm your master for tonight."

 _The nerve of him…_

Ana straightens her back. "What do you want?"

Christian slants a perfectly shaped eyebrow, he was sitting on the stool in the playroom they were in, one elbow propped up on his knee, his chin rested in his hand, intense grey eyes staring at her kneeling on the floor.

"I want to talk, negotiate if you'd like. Have you eaten yet? I know this good Italian restaurant not far away from here. They're open till midnight, and after that, I'll take you home."

"Why do you want to talk?" A cautious glint gleams in Ana's eyes.

Christian shrugs good naturedly. "I'm looking for a sub." He says. "You said you don't do the commitment thing, and neither do I, but I want a sub for a longer term, probably three months. I'll pay for your tuition, get you, Phoebe, and Teddy moved into a nicer apartment, a better school district. You'll be with me during the weekend, but of course, I'll let you see Teddy and Phoebe as well. Gail, my housekeeper, can look after them while you're with me. She's very good with kids. We'll discuss the details over dinner, come."

Ana grits her teeth. She didn't know what game he was playing, but she wasn't going to go to dinner with him.

"You need to get your head out of your ass. I don't need you to shelter me." She spits. "This is only a one night deal, you can do what you want with me tonight, but after that, we part our separate ways. You shouldn't associate yourself with a whore, and I won't ever see you again. I know you have more money than sense, but somehow that gives you this sense of entitlement. Well, I'm telling you now that I hate you, and I will never be your sub!"

Christian's eyes darken, and his voice drops to a baritone.

"Very well, we'll do this your way."

Before Ana can react, Christian grabbed her waist, spun her around, and in one swift movement, guided her over his lap.

Locking one leg over both of hers, Christian then secures both of her wrists in one large palm.

"Christian…" Ana gasps.

 _Smack._

Christian's hand connects with her bare backside, much harder than the tap he gave her last night, and a second later, he spanks her again.

"I didn't want to do this tonight, Anastasia." His voice was calm, controlled as he landed three more rapid smacks. "I didn't say you had to agree to be my submissive, I just wanted to talk to you. Hell, I'm trying to help you since I know you won't accept the money for free. If you didn't want to be my sub, I would've offered you a job. I just couldn't stand the thought of other men having you, and I certainly don't think of you as a whore, I know you do what you have to do to provide for your siblings, and there's nothing disgraceful about that." Christian continues to rain down hard smacks on her poor bottom as he lectured her.

 _God. What was he saying? He needed to shut up._

Ana squeezes her eyes shut. It wasn't the pain that got to her. She has endured things far more painful than a hand-spanking. What made her want to cry was the disappointment in his voice. Why couldn't she allow herself to trust someone? Christian was clearly a decent guy. Why did she have to be so broken? Teddy and Phoebe deserve better…

A small sob broke through her, and Christian briefly pauses, caressing her, soothing her. "Only five more, sweetheart." He says. Ana expected his voice to have more authority, but instead, it was gentle, kind.

Soon, five more agonizing smacks landed on her smarting behind, but Ana wishes Christian would keep spanking her. A spanking she could deal with. She needed pain more than ever now. She needed it to drive away all the dangerous emotions that he elicited. She needed it to cleanse her soul, rid her of whatever guilt she felt.

Christian rests one of his hands on the small of her back while he caressed her with the other. "Shhh, shhh…" He calmed, trying to provide her some sort of comfort. He had given her a hard spanking, but he suspected her tears were for a different reason.

Christian didn't force her to get up. Instead, he kept her over his knee, suspecting she needed some time gather herself. He continues to rub her back, calming her, and when her sobs finally die down to tiny sniffles, he helps her to her feet.

Ana sniffles as she stands between Christian legs, feeling like a child, and he squeezes her shoulder. "You did well, sweetheart." He says, reaching up and thumbing away a tear. "I'm proud of you, ok?"

His words only made Ana cry harder. _How can anyone be proud of her?_

This was dangerous, too dangerous. He destroyed her shields too easily. His words slayed her because deep down, she craved gentleness. She wanted someone to hold and hug her, protect her like a little girl, but she knew she didn't deserve gentleness. She was just some prostitute. She was a brat to him the entire time, tried to push him away, refused his food... Even after how kindly he and Elliot treated her last night.

"I deserve more...You should spank me more...I...I don't deserve this…" Ana murmurs, trying to shrug Christian's hand off her shoulder.

Christian doesn't say anything, only tightens his hand on her shoulder, and when Ana finally gathers enough courage to risk a peek at him, his grey eyes are sparkling.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Ana blushes. How can he spank her in one moment, and the next, he's making her laugh?

"Come here, darlin'." Christian whispers, and he gently pulls her onto his lap. Ana feels his black slacks and strong thigh muscles underneath her as his arms wrap around her.

"So here's the deal." Christian's voice is still steady, calm. "You and I are going to go have dinner, we'll talk, we can stick with topics you're comfortable with, we will reach a conclusion. You might be with me, you might not, the choice is yours. I'll drop you off at your place, but not before buying some groceries, and you can go back to Teddy and Phoebe, completely unharmed, the same as you walked in."

Ana dashes a few more tears away from her eyes. "No more McDonalds tonight?" she sniffs, forcing herself to smile, and Christian laughs. Like really laughs, grey eyes sparkling as he throws his head back.

"No, No McDonalds. That shit's unhealthy." He says, and Ana finds herself laughing along as well.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I wouldn't have thought you liked pasta and meatballs." Ana comments, a smile playing by her lip as she wraps some spaghetti around her fork.

Christian chuckles. "I don't. I just want to fatten you up."

Ana places her hand over her heart in mock offense. "Mr. Grey!" She exclaims.

"You're very good at avoiding topics you don't want to talk about, aren't you?" Christian finally asks as they continue to eat in silence.

The little, Italian restaurant was nowhere close to the five-star hotels he usually dined at, but it gave off a cozy feel. The place was mostly empty except for another couple sitting at the opposite side of the restaurant.

Ana sighs, reaching out and gently touching Christian's hand. "Look, Christian. I appreciate you looking out for me, I really do, and I know you mean well, but it's just not meant to be. I have to look after Teddy and Phoebe, and excuse me for my bluntness, but I would like to keep them away from the scene. I know they don't have the best lives, but I do what I can to provide for them, and they aren't hungry or anything. You have to let me go, I'll be your friend if you insist, but I can't be your long-term sub, even if it's no strings attached."

Christian squeezes Ana's hand.

"Ana, I promise you, I will never expose Phoebe or Teddy to anything related to bdsm. You won't live with me, I have an apartment right under Escala, and Gail will watch them when I'm with you. I think you do a damn good job at providing for them, and I'm not trying to undermine your capability, but let me take care of some of the finances, please. If you don't be my sub, will you at least consider a job at GEH? It comes with full medical and dental insurance as well as sick leave and child support…"

Ana swallows. "Christian, you're a good guy, you really are, but I can't. It feels wrong. I know you're only giving me the job out of pity."

Christian furrows his eyebrows. "What can I do otherwise to convince you?"

Ana sadly shakes her head. "Nothing, Christian."

"But if it weren't for Teddy and Phoebe, will you consider being my sub?"

Ana feels tears prick her eyes. "Please Christian, you know I can't. I'm meant to be alone, I tend to push everyone away, I'm a hardcore sub, I crave pain, but I'm not what you need, I…"

Ana lowers her head to try to hide her tears, but Christian gently places two fingers under her chin and tilts her head up. "I know that, sweetheart, and I'm a hardcore Dom, very few subs can handle my taste. I know you crave punishment. Pain is your way of dealing with things, just like control is mine."

Ana wanted to bow her head, hide from his intense gaze, but Christian slightly increases the pressure against her chin, a silent command for her to keep looking at him.

"Ana." His voice held that steady tone, the unspoken command, and Ana looks up at him. Her own submissive's desire drawing to his dominant nature, relinquishing her control.

"I know you want me. I can see it in your eyes. Your face is flushed, your lips are dry, and I can see your pulse beating. You unconsciously straightened your back, and your legs are slightly parted."

 _Damn him._

 _Damn him and his uncanny ability to read body language._

Ana swallows, feeling that her mouth has indeed run dry. "It doesn't matter if I want you or not. I'm not your charity case. Sure, I sell my body, I'm a whore, but this is too much, even I have morals."

Christian's lips tighten, and a shudder runs through Ana as he leans toward, grey eyes darkening. "First off." His voice now held a sense of absolute authority, and Ana's body stiffen. "You are not a whore, you do what you have to do, and I will not tolerate you degrading yourself like that. If you call yourself any other names, I won't hesitate to put you over my knee again, and I don't care that we're in a restaurant, understand?"

Ana stupidly nods her head, eyes wide, knees locked together, body rigid. Truthfully, she thinks Christian took away her ability to speak.

"Secondly." Christian leans back, giving Ana some space to breath. "You are not a charity case. When I invest in business, it's not the actual business I'm interested in. It's the people that run the business, how capable they are of running the business, how intuitive, resilient, smart, hardworking, and mentally strong they are. I take all of that into account, and I pride myself to be an excellent judge of character."

Ana has no idea where he's going with this.

"Ana." Christian says, placing his hand over her fingers. "Do you know what I see when I look at you?"

Ana idly shakes her head.

"I see someone hard working, smart, driven, beyond capable, someone so mentally strong that it actually frightens me a little. Think about it, you managed to take care of two young kids by yourself since you were 16, managed doctor appointments, school supplies, teacher conferences, you graduated high school and double majored, worked two jobs, dealt with your own fucked up parents, kept your family together. Hell, if I don't invest in you, I don't know who i'd invest in."

Ana swallows, clearing her throat, and then she clears it again.

Christian smiles, as if knowing just how much his confession startled her, and he hands her a glass of water.

"Here, drink some water."

Ana takes two big gulps, the cold water soothing her quivering stomach.

"So I'm an investment."

Was the only thing she could think of to say.

Christian smiles, grey eyes dancing. "Not quite." He says, raising a finger. "But if it helps you think of it in such a way, then it's as good as an excuse as any other."

Christian leans forward, the material of his black slacks pressing against Ana's inner thigh where her skirt rode up, and her breath hitches.

 _No, no, no, this is a bad idea. He's too close. She can smell him, that sexy scent of wood mixed with a hint of rum, his warm breath tickling her skin._

 _His thigh, hard, solid…_

 _Ana!_

"Ana," Christian's voice brings her back to reality. "I want you, and I know you want me."

"Teddy and Phoebe…" Ana tries her last defense.

Christian gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I promise you, Anastasia, on my life that no harm will come to those children. Gail will love them, she always loved kids, could never have any of her own. We will be careful, and while usually I require my submissive to stay with me the entire weekend, of course I'll let you stay with them. I know you're away a lot with school and jobs, but this way, you'll be with them a lot more since I'm not allowing you to go back to this godforsaken club and continue to sell your body, and the short while you're with me, Gail will take care of them. She's probably ranked as the number one babysitter if there is a competition for such a thing. She's a mother hen even to me, so I can already imagine her scolding them for not eating enough vegetables."

Ana lets out a little laugh that sounded more like a sob. "You make it so hard to say no." She whispers.

At this time, the waiter comes back with the bill, and Christian signs it without even glancing at the number.

Ana takes out a fifty-dollar bill, the place didn't look outrageously expensive, but still pretty upscale.

Before she can even hand Christian the money, he folds her fingers over the paper bill. "No, I'm paying."

"But…"

Christian holds up his hand. "No, a gentleman should always get the bill."

Ana crinkles her nose at him. "Sexist pig."

"Oink, oink."

He really was dangerous with his impossibly handsome face and the way he could make her laugh with the simplest things.

"So, what do you say?" Christian finally asks as they walk out of the restaurant, his arm wrapped around her.

He wanted to give her some space, not crowd her, but the anticipation was killing him.

Ana hesitates, resting her head against his shoulder. "I…" She begins, pausing, and Christian squeezes her hand.

"Whatever you say is perfectly fine, darling."

"I think you're worth the chance." Ana finally whispers.

 **A/N-What do you think? Please review…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n-Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this so much! I know this chapter is really short (I'm sorry, school got in the way) but I thought something was better than nothing, so... Hope you guys enjoy it none the less... Also, please forgive any grammar errors.**

 **Chapter 4-Kitten.**

Ana hated to admit it, but she was actually having fun with Christian. After dinner, he took her on a walk near the lake. It probably wasn't the safest thing, strolling around in the dark, but Taylor was right behind them, staying out of ear shot but still a safe distance away.

They talked about easy things, Christian asked her a lot about Phoebe and Teddy, and Ana found herself laughing along. He avoided unhappy topics, such as her parents. Ana wondered if he knew about her parents since he found out everything else, but she wasn't going to ask.

"You know, eventually, we're going to have to talk about hard and soft limits." Christian says, and Ana smiles, snuggling closer to him as he puts his arm around her.

"There's not much to talk about, as long as you're not into feces play…"

"Ana." Christian cuts her off. "This isn't a joking matter. I mean it." His voice has taken on that stern tone, and Ana becomes quiet, still clutching onto the side of his coat.

"I…" she begins, and Christian squeezes her hand reassuringly. "I don't really have hard limits since I uh…" she murmurs, looking down at their knotted fingers.

"Ana." Christian tips her head up with his finger. "I know that. You didn't have any listed on your profile, but I'm asking you, anything you don't like? Any triggers?"

"Uh...I...I…"

"It's ok sweetheart, you can tell me."

"I don't like anal." Ana whispers, staring at her feet and scrunching her toes.

"Ok, bad experience?" Christian asks, quiet yet calm, and Ana nods her head.

"Yeah, it really hurts…"

Christian briefly tightens his hold and presses a quick kiss to the side of her forehead. "Ok, no anal then. The asshole who did that to you didn't know what he was doing, anal done right can be extremely pleasurable, but we won't do it, ok?"

Ana nods, thankful for Christian.

"Anything else?"

"Uh….knife play scares me." Ana admits softly.

Christian caresses the side of her cheek. "Good news for both of us, I don't do knife play either, so you don't have a reason to be scared, but anything that scares you, you tell me, ok?"

Ana quickly nods, Christian was like a big tree, strong and solid, and when she leaned against him, she felt safe, protected.

Christian hated this. He hated how simply asking her hard limits were triggers. Did none of the other doms care enough to treat her kindly?

"Anything else?" He asks. He needed to make sure he covered all grounds.

"Are you ok with impact play, belt, paddle, that sort of thing?"

Ana nods. That stuff she can handle. All the painful stuff was ok, it's the psychological aspect that she had trouble dealing with.

Christian smiles fondly, gently tapping her bottom. "I have a feeling you'll be needing another spanking soon, especially with that smart mouth of yours." He says, and Ana sticks her tongue out at him.

Christian marvels at what it was like to have a girl in his arms. Ana was leaning her head against his shoulder, like a kitten, so trusting, so small, and an urge of possessiveness sweeps through Christian.

Ana marvels at what it's like to be held, to be cradled in someone's arm. Someone who cared about her. She's never felt this way, so safe, so protected. It's a feeling Ana wanted to cherish, to capture and lock it in her heart.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sawyer, Elliot, and Christian sat around the bar at Ecstasy.

Elliot and Sawyer have both taken great interest in observing Christian.

"Spill."

Christian shoots Elliot an irritated glance. "I told you, nothing is going on. She's just another regular sub."

Elliot remains unflustered, hooking his arm around the back of the chair and relaxing. "If she's just your normal sub, do you mind telling me why you took a walk with her, brought groceries, and made sure she was tucked in at night?"

Christian runs his hand through his hair. "Did you have someone fucking follow me, Elliot?"

Elliot's lips twitch up. "No, but let's just say, Sawyer got Taylor drunk…"

Sawyer's blue eyes, much like Elliot's, gleam with mischief. "Just admit it Grey, you like her. It's not a bad thing."

Christian pinches the bridge of his temple. "Ok, so she's hot, and I like her, but this is all this is, just sexual attraction."

"Lies, lies."

"Elliot, I swear to fucking…"

Sawyer leans back, he quite enjoyed watching the two brothers banter with each other, especially since both were such hard headed, stubborn pigs.

"You said you didn't like kids." He comments. "Ana needs to take care of the two little ones, what are you going to do about that?"

Christian sighs. Last night, he thought a lot about this. "Phoebe and Teddy don't have a father. I think it would be good for them to hang out when Ana and I are together, certainly not when we are in the playroom, but when we are just Ana and Christian…"

Sawyer and Elliot share a look, both of them grinning.

Christian was changing, weather he realizes or not.

"You said you weren't the family type." Sawyer comments, relaxing back in his chair, and Christian gives him a sidelong glance.

"I'm not. It's just not fair for Teddy and Phoebe. They deserve to have Ana around, and since she's going to be with me, I'm bound to be there for her. That is, until the contract end."

"And you still say she's not different." Elliot scoffs, taking a swirl of his whiskey.

"This happened when Elliot started dating Kate…" Sawyer comments thoughtfully. "El was so convinced that she was just another plain, old sub. Look at them now…"

"What about me?" Kate suddenly pops in, situating herself on Elliot's lap, and he wraps his arms around her, giving her a sip of his whiskey.

"Oh, Christian's here is denying that he has it bad for this girl, Ana."

Kate's eyebrow raises. "Ana? The tinted rose?"

"Yeah, you know her?" Elliot asks, and Christian sits up straighter. He didn't want to seem eager for information, but damn it, he wanted to know everything about her.

"Yeah, she's one hell of a sub. The girl can take pain like no other, honestly, it scares me a little." Kate says, glancing at Christian. "Two weeks ago, I saw this Dom, I'm not sure who he is, but he worked her over with a cat." Kate shudders. "She didn't even flinch, and afterwards, her whole back was marked up, but she walked away like nothing happened."

"A blood and bone deep submissive." Elliot remarks, and Kate nods.

"Yes, but I suppose she's perfect for Christian since he's so extreme himself, no offense Grey."

Christian chuckles. "None taken." he says, pouring himself another tumbler of liquid. "Why do you think she craves pain so much?"

Kate shrugs. "Why do any of us crave pain? You were a sub yourself. We all have our own reasons, but if I were you, I wouldn't push her to tell you that reason." Kate says, giving Christian a thoughtful look.

Christian nods, he knew better than anyone what it's like to have demons hidden in your closet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, all moved in?" Christian asks, stopping by the apartment right underneath his own. Since Ana has agreed to enter the contract with him, he had the place set up. They had their first session yesterday, and Christian suspected she might still be sore. The thought made him smile.

Ana turns around, her hair was in a messy top knot and she wore a loose fitting t-shirt. "Mostly, I still need to go back and get a few things, but this place is wonderful. Thank you." She says softly as Christian saunters over.

"Hmmm, I'm glad you like it. How's your butt baby?" Christian asks, leaning over and gently squeezing her buttock.

Ana hums, "Hmmm, there's a couple of little spots, but otherwise I would say it's ok, more than ok." She says, wiggling her ass against his hand.

Christian grins. "Make sure you take two more advils, and don't forget to use the arnica cream."

Ana smiles, as much as how ridiculous she thought Christian was being with fussing over her, it was nice to have someone care. "What are you doing here anyway, it's monday."

Christian slants his eyebrow. "What? Is it such a sin to want to check up on you? Our session was pretty intense last night."

And it was true. It was one of the more intense scenes he did. First, he tied her up and brought her to the brink of organsm so many times that all coherent thought flew out of her head, and then, when she accidently climaxed without permission, he used a paddle on her. The spanking only made her wetter, and Christian didn't stop until she was flinching out of more pain than pleasure. Then, he tied her up and fucked her again. Christian had to hand it to Ana, the girl's stamina was fucking amazing. He could hardly wait till next week.

Ana's lips curve up in a smile. He was a good Dom, extremely experienced, and his tongue was practically magic. A shiver runs through her, but it wasn't the actual sex that she enjoyed the most. Sure, the sex was out-of-this-world mind shattering, but it was what he did afterwards that got her.

 _Flashback:_

 _"_ _Hey baby, you ok?" Christian asks as he gently lays her down in the bathtub, the warm, fragrant water soothing her._

 _Ana didn't even realize their session had ended, she was still deep in subspace, and it felt like she was floating, endorphins still swimming around her._

 _"_ _No bath...will drown…" She murmurs, and somewhere in her half-conscious mind she registers Christian chuckling._

 _"_ _Shhh, it's ok. I won't let you drown. I've got you."_

 _He came into the water with her then, cradling her in his strong arms as he rubbed some sort of magical soap and cream on her._

 _He cleaned her hair, and gently washed down there as well even though she tried to stop him._

 _"_ _Shhh, just be still. let me do the work."_

 _He carefully lifts her out of the tub, and Ana rests her head against his chest as he presses a tender kiss to her forehead._

 _"_ _You did well, kitten." He whispers._

 _"_ _I'm not a kitten…" Ana remembers herself mumbling and Christian's soft chuckle._

 _"_ _No, but you're my kitten."_

 _Ana wanted to argue, but her eyes were already drifting close, and her heart fluttered at the loving nickname. It didn't feel degrading, like the name pet, but instead, she felt cherished, loved. In that moment, she decided she wouldn't mind being the kitten to his wolf._

 _End of Flashback._

 **A/N-So what do you guys think so far? Sorry there were no complete playroom scenes, those would come later...**

 **Love, Lauren.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N-So glad you guys are enjoying this so much! Sorry my schedule has been so busy but I really do try to update as much as I can, and thank you for ALL the reviews, I really do enjoying reading them and they all bring a smile to my face ;)**

 **Note: This is a dark story and there are sensitive topics in here**

 **Chapter 5: Whoever you give your heart to….**

Ana drops her bookbag on the ground as she walks into Escala, and her heart fills with a sudden burst of unexplained happiness when she hears Phoebe and Teddy giggling. She peeks her head around the corner, and there Christian is, pretending to "wrestle" with Teddy on the ground and tickling him as Teddy shrieks and rolls around with laughter. Although it seemed rough, Ana can tell how gentle Christian was being with Teddy, he always made sure Teddy landed on him and his hand was placed behind his neck so he wouldn't accidentally bump his head on the ground.

"I wanna join!" Phoebe cheers and Christian smirks at her before all of the sudden hoisting her in his arms and spinning her around, tossing her in the air, and Ana's heart hitches in her throat, but Christian catches her, safe and sound.

"Again! Again!" Phoebe jumps up and down as Teddy also clings to Christian's leg.

"Yeah, can you pleaseeee play with us more, pleaseeeee…." Teddy gives him his best puppy dog eyes.

Christian crouches down as both kids cuddle against him and Christian gives Ana his All-American boy grin. He looked years younger, his face relaxed and stress free, beads of sweat matting his hair as his grey eyes shone in the sun. For the first time, he looked like the young 24-year-old instead of the high stressed CEO.

"Don't you want to say hi to your sister?" Christian asks them, tilting his head in Ana's direction, and before he can even finish his sentence, Phoebe and Teddy are already running towards her, just now noticing their sister is back home.

"Yeah! Ana, do you want to play with Christian and us?" Teddy asks as Christian gives her his megawatt smile, and before she can react, Christian lifts her into his arms and spins her around as Ana lets out a surprised giggle.

"I would toss you, but I think you're a little too heavy for that." Christian whispers as he nuzzles her hair as he sets her down, and Ana's still giggling.

Christian loved that sound, but before he could finish his thought, Phoebe jumps into his arm, and Christian smiles lovingly at her as she gives him a big kiss on his cheek. It was amazing, how happy he was, how he could get used to this, get used to coming home to two adorable kids and get used to having Ana in his arms instead of returning home to a lonely, cadaverous apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Do you mind waiting here? I just need to grab some things." Ana asks Christian.

They were parked in front of her old trailer home where she moved out two weeks ago.

"Yeah, take your time." Christian responds. "I need to make this call for work anyway."

Ana flashes him a grateful smile. She still doesn't know why she didn't want Christian to see her old place. He probably never lived in such poverty.

Christian smiles back, and Ana found herself relaxing. It's amazing, how easy things were between them. He never asked her about her past, and everything with him was black and white. He said what he meant, and the sex was...well, she didn't think there was a word to describe it. Their relationship was detached in some sort of ways, they weren't one of those couples who laid awake in bed whispering secrets to each other, but at the same time, Ana felt like she knew Christian her whole life. She enjoyed their playful banter, and he was always very protective of her, Phoebe, and Teddy.

Christian watches Ana unlock and enter her front door, and he can't help the fondness that he felt for her. He was still trying to keep his distance, he didn't do the hearts and flowers sort of shit, and neither did she. _You will do well to remember that Grey,_ his subconscious scolded him, but Christian shrugs him off. It wasn't like he slept with her in the same bed or confessed his past to her. Sure, he started seeing her more and more, and their time wasn't only confided to the weekends and playroom, but that didn't mean he was falling for her.

Christian dials Welch's number. He needed to check up on some things with work, but just as he heard Welch grumble what a fucking asshole he is, something else caught his attention.

Ana was back out, in her hands was a box, and standing in front of her was a boy. He wore a black tank with saggy jeans and his head was mostly shaved, but Christian can tell his hair was a deep mocha brown. He had piercing blue eyes, and he looked angry.

Really angry.

"Hold up Welch, I'll call you back in five minutes."

Ana stares at Jared. "Jared, it's not like that…"

"It's not like what? Huh? Ana?"

"Christian, he…"

"He? He? So he has a name?"

"Jared, you're being ridiculous."

"Oh? I'm being ridiculous? Really? You go and sell yourself to a man, and I'm being ridiculous?"

"Jared…"

"No, Ana, you know what? I'm done being your friend! You think I don't know that you sneak off at night to whore yourself to men? But guess what, I do, and I'm not fucking ok with it. I thought I told you that you could count on me, or maybe I guess this place is just not good enough for you, I guess what you wanted all along were nice apartments and expensive cars." Jared spits at the Audi Christian was in.

"Jared, it's not like that…"

"It's not like what? What do you think this looks like? I was always there for you!"

Ana takes a deep breath. She didn't want to do this, but Jared had to see for himself.

"You? You were always there for me? Really? Jared, I never asked for your help!" Ana exploded. "You told me I could count on you, but where were you every night? Huh? You were either getting yourself shit faced or so high you didn't even know your own name. You think I would really allow Phoebe and Teddy to hang around people like you? And how dare you accuse me of being a prostitute when all you hanged around were shitty girls who wrapped their legs around you. Guess what? I am a whore, but at least I'm not cheap!"

Before Ana can even react, Jared's fist punched her in the jaw, and he threw her up against the trailer wall, tightening his grip around her throat.

Ana gasps and braces herself for another punch, but suddenly, she feels Christian pulling Jared off, and he hits the ground with a thud.

Christian immediately attacks Jared, kneeing him in the stomach and making him double over as he throws another punch square in Jared's nose.

"No! No! What are you doing?" Ana shouts, scrambling to her feet as she hauls Christian off.

"What the fuck, Ana? He punched you!" Christian was beyond furious. He wanted to beat Jared to a bloody pulp, but Ana pushes Christian off.

"Yeah, and can you say you haven't ever hit a girl before?" She spits.

Christian sucks in a sharp breath.

"You know that's different."

But Ana ignores him, crouching by Jared.

"Hey, hey, it's ok." She murmurs, tearing off her sweatshirt to wipe the blood off of Jared's face.

"Ana." Christian growls.

"No! Shut up Christian!"

"Ana…" Jared coughs.

"Yeah, it's me. It's ok. I'm right here ok?"

"I...I didn't mean to punch you…"

"I know, I know, it's alright. I provoked you." Ana continues to comfort him, slinging Jared's arm over her and helps him stagger to his feet.

"Ana…" Christian warns, but she glares at him.

"No Christian, I'm going to go and take care of him, and you can go home."

Christian's jaw ticks. _Jesus, he wanted to spank her right now. No, fuck that, he wanted to cane her, and then he wanted to bury himself inside of her until she remembers who she belongs to._

"No." He finally manages to say, counting to ten. "I'll wait for you in the car."

Ana nods, and Christian exhales a little sigh of relief as he re-enters the car, dialing Taylor to talk to Jared after they left. He was sure Taylor can find the drug dealer Jared was working for and threaten to expose him so he wouldn't spill to the media what happened and kept his mouth shut.

Five minutes later, Ana comes back out. Jared's face was cleaned up, and there was no longer any blood.

Ana doesn't say anything, giving Jared a tight smile before walking towards the Audi.

All thoughts about caning flew out of Christian's head when Ana climbs back in his car. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, and she was still sporting her black eye, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

"I'm sorry." She whispers as her shoulders begin to shake.

"Oh kitten." Christian whispers, drawing her onto his lap and tucking her head under his chin so he could rock her.

"I'm...really... sorry…I know…know...you were trying...to look out...for me…and I know...what you do is not the same…" she hiccups.

"Shhh, it's ok. It's ok...breath."

Ana continues to shake and sob in his arms. "Jared...Jared's not usually...like this...When we were little, and I was scared...he would always come over...and he would tell me not to be scared...he would play with Teddy...but...but…"

"But he changed, didn't he?" Christian asks softly, his heart breaking for her.

"Yeah…" Ana snivels. "He was like a...big brother...I...never had feelings...for him...but he always...made me...feel safe."

Christian doesn't say anything, but instead, he enfolds her closer in his arms and tightens his grip, as if reassuring her that she was now safe with him as well. Truly, completely safe.

Ana sniffles some more, and another shiver runs through her. Christian silently cranks up the heat.

"Let's go home, yeah?" He asks, gentle, and Ana nods, silent.

Christian keeps his one hand clasped over hers as he navigated the Audi with the other. Seattle blurred past them, but Ana didn't say anything, worrying the hem of her shirt with her fingers and staring down. This was killing Christian. Ana was always so witty, so strong.

"I'm sorry I punched Jared." Christian finally decides to break the silence. "I can tell he was someone important to you, but…"

"But he shouldn't have punched me." Ana whispers, and Christian gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes, sweetheart. How's your eye?" He asks, his finger ghosting over the bruise.

Ana shrugs. "It's just a bruise. It will heal."

Christian leans over and gently presses a tender kiss against the corner of her eye. "Well, I'll put some cream over it when we get home.".

XXXXXXXXXX

It was midnight, and Christian tosses in bed once again.

He didn't know why, but he just had a feeling that something was wrong.

Well, he knew what was wrong, but he convinced himself that he was overthinking.

After the ordeal with Jared, Christian took Ana home, kissed her forehead, and left. She needed space to think everything through, and he needed to distant himself. What he did in the car, the way he cuddled her.

Well, he never did that.

He was the badass CEO. He didn't do comforting, but damn it. It was so hard for him to let Ana go. He wanted to hold her, they didn't have to talk, he just wanted to hold her until she knew she was ok.

 _Love is for fools Christian, and folks like you and me, well, we're just not made for love. If you loved someone, you wouldn't have achieved your success. Love is messy Christian, it fucks everything up…_

Elena's words floated back and Christian groans, throwing an arm over his eyes.

He didn't love her damn it. He just wanted to hold her.

Another couple of long minutes ticked past, and the unease in Christian stomach tightens, twisting.

Fuck it. He was going to go see her.

Swinging his legs over the side, Christian pulls on a pair of jeans, and found his white t-shirt before making his way down.

Ryan, the security guard he hired for Ana, answers the door.

"She's outside, Mr. Grey."

Christian nods, and heading to the balcony, spots her.

She was leaning against the rail, a cigarette between her fingers, the flicker of fire gleaming in the dark night. Christian watches as she takes a drag, blowing the smoke out. Her long hair tumbles down her back, falling in messy strands, and she was wearing a loose fitting t-shirt with pajama shorts, showcasing her long legs as she stares out into the street. Her gaze was unfocused, suggesting her focus was inward, and she brings the cigarette back to her lips.

Christian's silent, watching the darkness surround her.

"You know, you should really quit smoking." He says, stepping out.

Ana lifts an eyebrow in his direction. "Well, we all have our own vices." She says, blowing another puff of smoke.

Christian doesn't say anything, leaning his back against the rail. She was beautiful, even like this.

"Are you ok?" He finally asks, and Ana gives a broken chuckle.

"I'm always ok."

"You know that's not the answer I'm looking for."

Ana shrugs. "Well, it's the only answer you're going to get."

"Please don't smoke." Christian says again, the stale smell of the cigarette drifted through the air, choking him.

Unhealthy, ugly memories lurk in the dark.

Ana glances at him. "It's not the weekend, you can punish it for me then."

"You already have quite a bad punishment coming, I wouldn't add to it." Christian warns, raising his own eyebrows, but in reality, he never really wanted to punish her. Maybe he'd gently spank her or something.

Ana shrugs again, resting her finger that held the cigarette against the railing. "I figured as much. No sub would get away with what I did today, but I don't regret it. Jared was like a brother to me once, and I would do anything to defend him, even if he was wrong."

Christian follows her gaze, staring out into the street. "I know." He says. "That's not why you earned your punishment though."

He can tell his answer surprised her by the way her shoulder tenses.

"Then why?" Ana asks, examining her cigarette closely. The red light flickered, promising something dark yet beautiful.

"You called yourself a whore." Christian answers. "I don't want you to ever call yourself that."

Ana shrugs again. "People are who they are, I don't see any point in telling lies."

Christian sighs. "Can you please put out the cigarette?" He asks, and the pleading note in his voice catches Ana's attention.

Stabbing the red light against the railing, Ana extinguishes the flame, throwing the half-smoked cigarette away.

Christian relaxes. "Thank you." He whispers, swallowing, and moves behind Ana, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Christian whispers, and Ana nods.

And it was true, looking out from the balcony, you can see the entire Seattle. It had just rain, and the air smelled of fresh grass with a gentle breeze while the streets lights sparkled in the distant.

It was quiet for once, being in the middle of the night, and as the clouds cleared, a few stars came out.

"You know." Ana says, laying her hand on Christian's forearm, tracing a vein. "I never told you this, but whoever you decide to give your heart to, she's really, really lucky."

Christian stills. "I don't do romance."

Ana leans back against him, her hand still absentmindedly playing with his long fingers. "I know that." She whispers. "But I have seen extremely loving couples enter into bdsm relationship. It's not all about sex. Well, it is for us, but one day, I hope you find someone, someone special, and I want you to know that when that day comes, I'll be really happy for you."

Christian couldn't help the swell of emotions that gripped him in that second. He wanted to kiss and fuck her at the same time. Fighting the storm building inside of him, he closes his eyes, and dropping his head, plants a soft kiss along Ana's hairline before whispering. "Same goes, kitten."

 **Please review~**


	6. A message to trolls

**A/N**

 **An important message about this story: (An a sincere apology to MOST of my readers because you guys do not need to read this, this is only for trolls who thinks it's ok to sabotage other people's story)**

 **Ok, I'm sorry I'm posting this and it's not a chapter, but there is something I have to say about my story. Yes, it is dark, and it is twisted, and I never said Christian was going to be the perfect prince charming. The way I tried to make this story is you can either view him as good or bad because he can be seen as either. Yes, he shouldn't be using Ana (but there was little part in Chapter 3 where he did offer her a job at GEH and she refused), and his morals are still twisted from Elena. But hopefully, in the end, he will turn around and be a _truly_ good person, he's just not there yet, and Ana is not perfect either, she has had a tough life. I _purposefully_ made my characters these way because we wouldn't really have a story if they are just all perfect, right? And some readers think that I'm somehow promoting pedophilia in this by showing Christian's relationship with Teddy and Phoebe. Ok, Phoebe and Teddy do not know about A & C's relationship, and Christian is not molesting them. I will never advertise pedophilia, and my story later on goes in more detail about Christian's relationship with Elena and how _truly_ evil that is. The fact that someone thinks I'm promoting pedophilia with my story just angers me, and I'm sorry I'm saying this but I have to defend something I wrote, and I'm sorry if you view it that way, but it was not my intention. Ever. I have gotten so many wonderful reviews with this story, and thank you for all the readers who support me, but A MESSAGE TO TROLLS: **

_**Dear trolls:**_

 **You do not have to read my story, nobody's forcing you, you do it out of your own free will. If you do not like it, do not read it (It's very simple actually) But please just remember I AM HUMAN, I HAVE A THING CALLED FEELINGS, and please respect that before you trash somebody's story. I put a lot of work into what I write, and if you can't respect that. Well, that's your problem, but please don't ruin the story for other readers because you know what? reading multiple reviews that goes like: "this story is shit, how can you write about this, you should be ashamed." is a little bit discouraging, so, and I'm saying this in the nicest way possible: Fuck off. (Also, all negative reviews about me as a writer will be deleted because I do not need to put up with this)**

 **T** **o any other author reading this: You are beautiful and talented, and you are fucking awesome, don't let somebody else bring you down.**

 **End of rant.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Thank you ALL so much for all the lovely, beautiful reviews and all the support I got from saying my piece to the trolls (Trolls if you are reading this, please leave, I don't need you critiquing my story). Just want to clarify here: I have nothing against reviews who argue with the character's morals or personality (My characters aren't perfect, I made them that way to build a story, and I always like hearing the different opinions on what's going to happen), The reviews I have a problem with is when they start targeting me as an author. With that being said, thank you so much to all of my loyal, beautiful readers. I can never do this without you guys.**

 **Warning: Dark Chapter that talks about child abuse, violence, and has themes of BDSM.**

 **Chapter 6**

Ana slides on her knees. True to Christian's words, her punishment was very harsh, but she expected nothing less.

She wanted nothing less.

Punishment help cleared her brain, it was a safety net, and as the pain came, her mind stilled because in that insanity, she handed all the control to him.

Ana was very independent, and in real life, she wasn't submissive. She taught herself to be strong, to care for her siblings. She pushed everyone away, isolating herself, but it worked because she was safe.

However, humans were social animals, they needed the touch of another human, and since Ana couldn't tolerate normal relationships, BDSM helped satisfy that need. She needed the pain to help her accept herself, accept life, and when she handed her control over, she knew she could just be herself. She didn't have to worry about this or that, she can just be, and let her Dominant do the work. Life was so much simpler when all you had to do was follow directions. It provided peace for her.

Christian kept her on her knees, satisfied for now. Her back had red stripes all over it from the flogger, and Christian gently brushes his hand over her abused skin. She reminded him of a tiger.

Trailing his hand up, he gives her hair an affectionate tug.

"You did well, kitten." He murmurs, and Ana leans against the inside of his thigh as he strokes her hair.

Christian was sitting on the red, canopy bed in the middle of the playroom, and Ana was kneeling between his splayed legs.

They were still in the scene, so Ana didn't say anything. She wasn't given permission, but thankfully, Christian let her lean against his thigh, offering comfort.

It was ridiculous, completely ridiculous, at how much she loved it when he called her kitten. Ana hoped he didn't call any of his other submissives that. It made her feel little and cared for.

Nobody has ever cared for her.

Ana needed to grow up too fast. Ever since her mom had got addicted to heroin and she needed to run away from home because Steve made a grab at Phoebe, she was forced to become an adult. All of the responsibilities of needing to grow up was shifted onto her thin shoulders, and the weight nearly crushed her, but she survived.

However, with Christian, Ana felt like she didn't have to carry all of that weight. He reminded her that he was there and lent her a shoulder to rest on. He called her kitten and was rough with her when she wanted it, but gentle afterwards when she needed it.

"What are you thinking about?" Christian asks, tilting her head back with two fingers, and Ana softly smiles.

"I like the name kitten." She whispers, and now it's Christian's turn to smile.

He shifts her onto her side, and despite the awkward position of lifting her while sitting down, he easily managed, drawing her onto his lap and nuzzling her neck.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, because you'll always be _my_ kitten."

They sit like that for a few more minutes, catching their breath, and Christian occasionally squeezes or pinches Ana's ass, making her giggle. She had six cane welts since Christian did use the cane on her, but the pain was already starting to fade.

"Thank you." Ana finally whispers.

"For what?"

Ana sighs against his chest. "I don't know, for everything, for being gentle with me."

Christian chuckles, trailing his fingers down, and his hand stills on her ass, feeling the cane welts.

"You call this gentle?" He asks.

Ana shrugs. "You're gentle now, and you know I crave the pain."

Christian's brow furrows. "Aftercare is an essential part of BDSM, I wouldn't leave you like this."

Ana softly smiles against him, enjoying the feeling of his fingers gently combing through her hair. "Yeah, but when you're paid to be fucked, aftercare isn't really something in the contract."

Christian frowns.

"Still." He murmurs, and Ana rests her hand against the nape of his neck, her nails making teasing, little scratches.

"Did you have chickenpox or something when you were little?" She asks, out of the blue.

Christian raises an eyebrow, he knows she's talking about the scars scattered on his chest, he can feel her finger ghost over the one near his heart.

It amazes him, really, at how much he accepts her touch. He used to be scared of physical contact, but Elena took care of that.

Well, she didn't make him forget the fear, she just forced him to conquer it.

Physically forced.

However, Christian still didn't like to be touched even if he could tolerate it.

Ana though…

She was a different story.

Christian follows her gaze to the ugly scar, the brown mark mocking him, and he lifts his eyes to hers. Blue to Grey.

"No." He answers.

Ana pouts as she traces the small circle, but she doesn't push him to say anything more. She had enough experience to know when something was a touchy subject, and she was sure a man like Christian had a few skeletons of his own.

Ana stares up into his eyes. They were an intense grey, focused, but at the same time, they held a sense of vulnerability.

Christian continues to play with her hair, and she doesn't stop him.

They just lay like that, tangled in each other's embrace, unspoken secrets between them, but they were both content.

Finally, after a while, Christian speaks. "They're cigarette burns." He says, and he doesn't miss Ana's intake of sharp breath.

"Christian, I'm so sor…"

"I don't want to discuss the matter." Christian says. "I don't want pity. We all have our own demons."

Ana stares, wide eyed and lost.

"If you told me earlier, I wouldn't have smoked." She whispers, eyes downcast, and Christian cracks a smile.

"That's very considerate of you." He says, giving her hair an affectionate tug. "But I want you to quit smoking because it's bad for you, not because I had a fucked-up childhood."

Ana smiles, laying her head back on his chest and she reaches for his hand, interlocking their fingers.

"If you ever need me, I'm here." She murmurs.

Christian continues to allow her to lay on top of him, his hand gently brushing up and down her back, and soon, he was greeted by her soft snores as he lightly smiles to herself. Carefully getting up as to not wake her, Christian turns on his side and scoops her up. It was ridiculous, how much he liked just carrying her.

Ana starts to stir in his arms as he lays her down in her own bed. "Shhh…" he whispers as she lazily smiles up him.

"I got all of your stuff back from your old trailer." Christian says, pointing to the box by her bed side table. Ana still had the bruise next to her eye caused by Jared.

Ana smiles again, her hand still holding on to Christian's.

"What did I do to deserve you?" She whispers, blue eyes blinking up at him as Christian tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You deserve the best of everything. I'm the one that's lucky, but you don't worry about that now. You're tired, just sleep." Christian gently demands, and Ana squeezes his hand.

"Stay with me." She asks, voice soft. "Please."

Christian smiles his heartachingly shy smile as he sits down next to her.

"How about if I read to you?" He asks, picking up a book from her night stand.

Ana glances up at the book and smiles.

"Wuthering Heights." She murmurs sleepily to herself. "Heathcliff is a jerk."

Christian chuckles as he rubs her back. "Yes, yes I suppose Heathcliff is a jerk."

Ana gives a little content sigh as leans against him, and Christian almost missed it, but right before she fell asleep he heard her whisper, or perhaps she was sleep talking to herself.

"Please don't be like Heathcliff, he scares me."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana was greeted by the sound of laughter when she finally slides back into consciousness. Sleepily, she dresses and peeks her head out. Christian's snuggled on the couch with Phoebe and Teddy, and they were watching The Lion King.

Christian was pretending to be the lion, fake roaring and tossing his head as Teddy and Phoebe shriek with laughter.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Christian?"

A shiver run downs Christian's back as the familiar, polite voice travels through his penthouse followed by the sharp click of heels.

Ana looks at him with questions in her bright, blue eyes, and Christian forces a smile.

"You guys stay here, ok?" He asks.

It was funny, really, they were having dinner. Anna, Christian, Phoebe, and Teddy.

Christian was actually enjoying himself. Everything felt so natural with Ana, and he found himself continually straying away from the lines of the contract, inviting them for dinner, and he even watched the lion king with Teddy the other day.

"Christian?" Teddy asks, "Is that your friend?"

Christian silently grimaces, but he picks Teddy up and gives him a big hug. The little boy practically worshiped Christian and latched onto him as a father figure.

Christian, although he wasn't good with kids, has grew quite fond of Teddy and Phoebe.

The thought of Elena hanging around them sickened him.

"Yeah Teddy, she's a friend."

Of sorts.

"Can I meet her?"

"Um...I…"

"Who wants to meet me?" Elena asks, suddenly appearing before them.

Christian's hold tightens on Teddy, and he motions Phoebe to come near him.

He adjusts Teddy so he's supporting the little boy in one arm, and Teddy wraps his legs around him while Christian extends his hand to Phoebe, and she happily takes hold of his one finger.

"Come on kids, time for bed." He says, "you guys can have a sleepover here, yeah? Does that sound fun?"

Ana's getting confused.

"But Cristian...it's only seven…" Phoebe objects.

"No Phoebe, it's actually eight. The clock broke." Christian lies.

Now, Christian didn't normally agree with lying to kids.

However, getting them away from Elena was way more important.

Christian couldn't explain why, he just didn't want Teddy and Phoebe with Elena. The uncanny feeling kept on uncoiling in his gut and made the hairs stand on the back of his neck.

When Christian leads them up to the guest room, Gail's already waiting by the stairs with a bright smile.

"What bedtime story do you guys want?" She asks Teddy and Phoebe cheerfully, holding up two different books, and Christian makes a mental note to give Gail a raise. The woman was worth every penny he paid her for.

"No! I want Christian to read me a story." Phoebe argues, and Christian sighs, crouching down.

"Tiger." He calls, squeezing her shoulders. "I have work to do right now, but how about, if you're good. I'll come up and read to you later? Alright?"

Phoebe pouts, giving Christian her puppy dog eyes that she knows he can't say no to, and Christian graces her with a warm smile.

"I know, sweetheart. I promise I'll be back." He swears, and Phoebe considers this, thinking seriously.

Just as Christian thinks she's about to argue again, Ana slips upstairs, hoisting Phoebe in her arms.

"Phoebe, darling, Christian has some work to do." She explains, giving Christian a sidelong glance. "How about I'll tuck you in and read you a story?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"What the actual fuck do you think you are doing?" Christian demands the moment he steps off the last step.

Elena lifts an incredulous brow. "I only wanted to see how you were doing, I didn't know you were having a little family dinner."

Christian narrows his eyes, and Elena picks up his wine glass, taking a sip of his champagne.

"It's a shame really. I can tell those kids aren't well behaved. Well, the little boy is ok, but the little girl, she's a bit bratty. Hmmm?" Elena asks, swirling the glass, her shiny, red nail a stark contrast against the white marble island.

Christian's dinner threatens to make a reappearance.

"You leave Phoebe and Teddy out of this. You have beef with me, I get it. My brother destroyed your solon."

Elena ignores him and continues to examine the wine glass. Her body reeks of uptown decorum with her expensive clothes and louboutins heels.

"But I suppose a few spankings will take care of the brattiness. Children are children after all." She says, her blood red nails drumming against the table.

Christian actually feels _bile_ rise in his throat, and with a shift of his body, he takes a step closer to her, his grey eyes turning into soulless pools.

"Elena." His voice had a chilling conviction to it, unlike his dominant baritone that held a note of huskiness, this one was pure ice. His shoulders roll back, adding to his six-foot frame, and his jaw ticks.

"This is your only warning, you dare joke about being sexual with Phoebe _or_ Teddy again, I will personally make it my mission to permanently destroy you. Don't think I don't have pictures from your dungeon. You had your sick fun with me, now leave Ana out of this."

Elena gives a shrill laugh, but Christian can tell he made a crack in her by the nervous tense of her shoulders. She knows he's not a man to make empty threats.

Elena turns her shoulder, her calculating eyes drifting across the dinner table.

"This sub of yours." She switches the subject. "Is she a good fuck?"

Christian tightens his jaw. He usually tolerated Elena, especially considering what she did for him, but she just about overstepped too many lines tonight.

"Ana's more than that."

"Cute." Elena remarks, and Christian widens his stance.

 _Nobody talks that way about Ana._

"So tell me Christian, is her pussy made of gold or is it because she takes the cane like a champ? Maybe it's because she has secrets, secrets you want to bloody your hands with? Perhaps all three?"

Christian's grey eyes grow colder.

 _Whatever game she's playing. It ends now._

"How's the hubby?" He suddenly changes tactic, throwing Elena off guard. "Does Linc know you're here? Or did you tell him you were at some woman's function?"

Elena pales, and for a second, the cadaver like living room is deathly silent. "Christian, don't you dare use that against me." She finally hisses, and Christian grins, shoving his hands into his pockets.

He has definitely hit a nerve, and the sadistic part of him enjoyed the hell of it. Elena has caned, paddled, fucked, beaten him with an inch of his life when he was a teen.

Christian thinks revenge was a little overdo.

"Hmmm? What can't I use against you Elena? Did you not dangle what my birth mom and her pimp did to me every chance you got in front of my face? Did you not use your husband's money to enjoy your dominance over me? You should thank me, I'm being considerate, because thanks to you, I can now have you and your husband destroyed with a click of my finger. You really didn't think I wouldn't keep tabs on you guys right? And yes, the shitty hotel of his that was destroyed last month was because of me. I admit to it. I have to say, you taught me well."

Christian's words drip with sarcasm, fueled by hurt and anger. Usually, he didn't take his anger out on Elena. Elena did help him in the end after all, and Christian knew, after two weeks, she will forget about this ordeal and they will go back to whatever fucked up relationship they have, but his anger towards her wasn't because of what she did to him, it was because of her comments about Phoebe and Teddy. The notion of hurting a child. An actual _child._ A seven year old girl and boy with big blue eyes and wide smiles.

Well, Christian wouldn't tolerate that.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey tiger." Christian says, peeking his head into the bedroom. Ana was beside Phoebe, and she smiles at him as well, although hers was more wary while Phoebe was beaming.

"Christian!" She cheers.

Christian smiles back, leaning over and kissing her forehead.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He asks, and Phoebe giggles.

"You promised me you'll read me a bedtime story!"

"I did?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, tiger, I always keep my promises. What do you want me to read?"

As Phoebe picks out the book, Christian settles her on his lap, and he marvels at the small, fragile creature in his hands, her head the size of his palm, and he gently wraps his arms around her. His big six-foot frame hunched over Phoebe's small, three feet body, and in that moment, he swears that he will protect this delicate, beautiful creature.

Bending over, Christian kisses Teddy's temple as well and his eyelids flutter open.

"Hey buddy, I'm just saying goodnight. Go back to sleep." Christian softly commands, and Teddy smiles as he curls up next to Christian.

Ana leans against his shoulders, and Christian wraps an arm around her as well, keeping Phoebe in his lap and his other hand settled on Teddy's shoulder as he reads the story.

Of course, the story Phoebe picked was _The Tiger Who Came to Tea_ (again), and Christian remembers how the little girl wanted to become a tiger, but before she became strong enough for that to happen, one thing was for certain: she was safe from the bitch troll.

All three of them were.

 **Also, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Dear beautiful readers:**

 **I'm so sorry it took almost a month for this update but I had finals and school was crazy. However, I'm on break now so hopefully I'll get a lot of writing done and can update regularly for the next 3 weeks.**

 **Also, Thank you for all of the continued support. You guys are the reason I love writing and coming up with stories.**

 **Pleas forgive any grammar mistake. I thought you guys would prefer a slightly faster updated chapter than a chapter with perfect grammar.**

 **Warning: Dark Chapter.**

 **Chapter 7-A Broken Heart**

"What was that about?" Ana asks as she follows Christian down the steps after they have put Teddy and Phoebe to sleep.

"What was what about?" Christian asks, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"Who was your friend?"

"Ana." Christian sighs, "Can we not do this?"

"Christian, I just want to know. You know, see if I can help." Ana shrugs a little.

Christian sets his glass down again. "Ana, I don't need your help. I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine. Can you please not ask me about my past? I already told you about my birth mom."

"But you're not fine." Ana gently protests. "Whoever that woman was, I can tell she un-nerved you. You didn't want Phoebe and Teddy around her, you're usually fine with them running around when other guests are here."

"Ana." Christian pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't go digging into your past, so please, leave mine alone."

Ana smartly shuts her mouth, looking down, and she hears Christian sigh again as he gently tugs her towards him.

"Anastasia." Her name was somehow always so convincing on his lips. "Look at me."

Timidly, Ana peeks up at him as he gently pinches her chin.

"Ana, I am a dark, dark man. I have secrets. You have secrets, I know you don't want to tell me about your secrets, but I promise you, mine are much darker. So can we make a deal that if I don't ask about your past, you don't ask me about my past? Huh, kitten?"

Ana sighs. "Yeah, I guess." She murmurs, looking down. "I just wanted to help. You know, you're always so closed off."

Christian gently pulls her towards him and kisses her forehead. "I know I'm closed off, it's the way I'm built, but you're pretty closed off too, you know?"

A small smile graces Ana's lips. "I know." She whispers.

"So can we just keep our relationship professional? You know, keep it clean? Secrets make everything messy."

Ana's eyes became sad again as she tries to withdraw from Christian. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just a girl you paid to meet your sexual needs. Sorry, it's just sometimes..."

"Ana." Christian gently interrupts her. "I thought we're over that. You know I don't view…"

"Yeah, yeah, you don't view me that way, and you, you're gorgeous, perfect, generous, beautiful. You watch movies with Teddy and Phoebe, you stay with me when I ask you, you do everything for us. Sometimes…" Ana helplessly shrugs her shoulder. "Sometime it feels to me as if we're more, and I forget my place. I'm sorry."

"Ana." Christian says, his voice a gentle admonishment. "You know you're more to me than someone to meet my sexual needs right? I know our relationship…It's different…but I do those things because I really do care about you…but my past…I…"

"It's something you're not ready to talk about." Ana softly finishes for him, and Christian nods.

"Yeah."

"That's ok, I'm not ready either." Ana relents, walking back to him and standing on her tip toes as she presses a brief kiss to Christian's lips.

XXXXXXXXX

Christian has his jacket draped around Ana as Taylor pulls open the door for them.

They were visiting Ecstasy, not that Christian was into public scenes or voyeurism, but since Elliot did know about Ana, Christian knew he couldn't keep her hidden.

"Hey brother!" Elliot's wearing his ridiculous grin as he greets Christian.

"Ana, so nice to see you again darlin'." He gestures warmly, embracing her in a hug. "How's my asshole brother treating you? Is he keeping you in line?" Elliot wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

A warm blush creeps across Ana's cheek. "Hey, El." She whispers, and Christian shoves Elliot.

"Fuck off."

"Wow, wow, someone's a bit of a caveman with their girl, huh? Well, can't say I blame you, I'm the same with Kate." Elliot states, and Sawyer pours them each a whisky, except for Ana, being under 21 and all.

Ana settles herself on Christian's lap, and he drapes an arm around her as he continues his idle chit-chat with Elliot.

"So Ana, Christian says you have a brother and sister, tell me about them. Phoebe and Teddy right?" Elliot tries to engage in conversation with Ana, and Christian relaxes when he sees a huge grin blossom across Ana's face as she launches into one of her crazy tails about Phoebe riding the bike one day and nearly knocking Teddy over.

Still keeping Ana in his lap, Christian turns to Sawyer who gives him a warm slap on the back as he dries another wine glass.

"Hey man, you look good." Sawyer remarks, smiling, cocking his head towards Ana talking to Elliot. "Is it because of that beauty?"

Christian chuckles. "If this is your plan to get me to marry, then it's not working."

Sawyer shrugs, "Nah, although you are 25…"

Christian pretends to bury his head in his hands in mock exasperation. "Sawyer, have I ever told you that you should be a shrink instead of working in a bdsm bar?"

"Hey! I heard that!" Elliot calls. "If you convince my employees to quit and be some expensive charlatan, you're in serious trouble Chris."

Christian chuckles, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying, Sawyer always have philosophical shit stuffed up his ass, I think an expensive charlatan will suit him."

Kate, who by this time, skipped over, rolls her blue eyes, and offers Ana a warm smile.

"You'll get use to it honey, they always banter like this. It's the most annoying thing in the world."

Ana laughs, "no, it's all good." She says, resting her chin on her hand as she observes the three men laughing and talking. "It's nice." She finally comments. "You can tell they all care about each other."

Kate smiles. "Yes, although you'll have to kill one of them to prove it."

Suddenly, a finger ghost over Ana's shoulder and she stiffens. It wasn't Christian since she knew his touch.

Kate scowls at the guy behind her. "Fuck off, asshole, can't you tell she's taken?" She says, pulling Ana beside her.

"Hmmm, you're a bit feisty, aren't you? I can help you be more respectful, teach you some manners…"

"Hey!"

Elliot stands, pulling himself to his full height and staring the guy dead in the eyes,

Blue to blue.

"She's with me."

Jack's face remains serious, examining Elliot. Both guys were decently built, but Elliot's shoulders were slightly broader, although Jack was an inch taller. They looked like two bulls, ready to charge at each other.

Finally, Jack raises two hands. "Hey man, I don't want to cause any trouble. I just saw Ana over here, and given our history, thought I would say hi. Hmm, sweet thing?" He asks, brushing his finger over Ana's neck.

Christian also stands up.

 _How dare he touch Ana. Nobody messes with his sub._

Ana turns her shoulder, and her blue eyes held a sudden coldest to them.

"What do you want, Jack?" She asks, voice calm.

Jack grins, leaning against the shelter. "Aww, sweet thing, why the cold attitude? You're not happy to see me? Huh?"

"Why would I want to see you?"

Jack's grin widens. "I see you have gotten bolder."

Ana keeps her gaze steady. "Jack." She says. "Please leave me alone."

Christian can't help but be impressed. He never saw Ana stood up for herself that much.

Jack's jaw tightens. "You keep that attitude up, and I'll repeat your last punishment."

Ana stiffens, and suddenly, she feels Christian's presence. He had seen Jack and now was in his high alert dominant role. Christian always had a strong presence to him, he could almost always demand the attention of everyone in the room, and Ana can sense his alpha male, don't-fuck-with-my-sub scent. He has stepped fully in front of her and was staring Jack straight in the eye. Christian was taller than Elliot, and he towered over Jack. His shoulders were rolled back, his jaw tight, fists clenched.

"The only person that's going to punish her is me."

Jack narrows his gaze. "Who are you? Another one of her clients?"

Christian's fists clenches, and he takes another step forward, shielding Ana behind him. "I'm warning you, keep away from her."

Jack scoffs. "Big talk, asshole. You know she's a slut right? Opens her legs to different doms who's willing to pay the right price. Do you think you're different?"

Christian's stance broadens, and out of the nowhere, Elliot and Sawyer walk over and stand next to Christian. They were like a wolf pack, forming a protective wall around Ana, their unmistakable alpha scent clamming her as their territory. Ana knew that a fight was very possible.

"Christian…" She says, gently laying her hand on his shoulder. "Let me deal with him."

Christian stiffens, but he doesn't move. "Absolutely not. This is between Doms."

An evil grin creeps across Jack's face, sensing blood in the air. "He's right, sweet thing. Why don't you be a good, little sub and obey your master, just like I taught you?"

Kate, also sensing something bad lurking in the air, pulls Ana back. "Don't." She whispers.

Ana silently shakes. "What is this?" She demands. "Is this some sort of joke? Some sort of piss contest? The let's play the-who-can-have-Ana-game? Well, I'm telling you that I don't belong to either one of you. Jack, our relationship ended a long time ago, so you can go fuck yourself for all I care, and Christian, yes, I'm your sub, but I'm not your slave. I can protect myself, I can handle things on my own, I have since I was fifteen."

Christian briefly turns his gaze towards Ana, grey eyes cold.

"Ana, I'm ordering you as your dom, go with Kate."

Ana raises her chin, defiant. She was not some object, not some sort of territory that could be claimed. She was her own person. She knew how to deal with shit. She was not going to allow anyone to get hurt because of her. They were acting like ridiculous toddlers, fighting over a toy.

"No."

Christian narrows his gaze.

"You're still sore, I don't want to punish you." He warns.

Ana straightens her own back. "I can handle whatever you want to do to me later, but right now, let me deal with Jack."

Jack grins. "Hmmm, sweet thing, you're really asking for it. I don't know if you're Dom here is as cruel as I am. If he were more negotiable, I would suggest letting me help with your punishment."

"Absolutely Not."

At this point, Ana has had it. Walking over, she grabs Jack by the arm and yanks him to the corner, ignoring Christian.

"Jack, you need to leave me alone."

"What? Are you afraid you're new, powerful boyfriend will hurt me? I was merely having fun." Jack says, leaning against the back of the wall and throwing a glance toward Christian's direction who looks like Elliot's trying to talk some sense into.

"You already got me in trouble, can you be happy with that?" Ana asks, voice cold.

Jack shrugs. "You do know the sadistic side of me."

Ana tries hard to keep calm, taking a deep breath. "So is it enough for you that you had your sick fun with me when I was sixteen, took my virginity, and taught me everything I had to know about being the perfect sub?"

Jack gives another nonchalant shrug. "You wanted it." He says, unworried, and Ana's blue eyes deepen in pain, but she manages to keep her head up and stares Jack straight in the eye.

"Our relationship has ended, go fuck yourself." She says, and without a glance backward, walks back towards Elliot and Christian, but instead of going straight to Christian, she goes to Elliot.

"Can you have security remove him?"

Elliot gestures over to where two guards, dressed in black, were already walking over to Jack.

Finally letting out a breath she's been holding, Ana heads back to Christian.

"What the fuck were you doing?" Christian demands the minute Ana's within arm's reach.

Ana, since it was a weekend and since she had directly disobeyed Christian, knew exactly what she had to do.

Silently, she kneels on the floor. "What would master like me to do?" She murmurs softly.

Christian, still fuming with anger, feel himself stiffen. _Fuck right, she was his. His to do as he wished. Not Jack's. His._

 _Why the hell did she keep on endangering herself? Why did she have to defy him at every turn? Why was she talking to Jack? Why can't she listen to him?_

Anger boils in him, threatening violence, and Christian mentally counts to ten. _Fuck, did he want to punish her._

"Go to room 509 and wait for me." He demands, and quietly, Ana gets up, obeying him.

Elliot regards her with wary eyes.

"Hey man," He says, clapping his hand on Christian's shoulder as he watches Ana's shadow disappears up the steps.

"I know what you're thinking." Christian says before Elliot can say anymore.

Elliot nods. "Yes, you're angry. I don't want you to punish her while you're angry."

"I'm not angry."

"Bull."

"You can't stop me. She deserves it."

"Yes she does, but you're angry Chris, I get it. However, give yourself a chance to cool down before you do something you'll regret."

"No. I'm punishing her, and that's it. Do you not trust me to stop if she safe-words?"

"I do." Elliot says honestly because he knew his brother, and Christian will always respect his sub's hard limits.

"Then trust me to take care of her."

Elliot's blue eyes remain wary, he did trust Christian, but he knew his brother's temper. Finally, he settles for "Drink some water first, and wait ten minutes before you go up."

XXXXXXXXXX

The cold tile is hard against Ana's knee, and she takes a deep, calming breath.

 _This is what she signed up for. She can do this. She'll handle Christian at his worst, so she can deserve him at his best._

"Get up." Christian's voice suddenly commands the room, and Ana obeys. She feels his hand, rough, grab her as he drags her to the middle of the bed.

"Kneel."

Another command.

Ana does as she told.

She can see Christian's bare feet, and fleetingly, she studies the veins running along them. As harsh as Christian was being right now, she knew he needed this, and in some fucked up way, she needed it to. If taking his anger out on her made everything alright, and he'll cuddle her afterward, take her home, and tuck her in bed, then she could handle any amount of pain he threw at her, because the Christian she knew, the real Christian, he was a good guy, a gentle giant, and Ana knew he would take care of her.

"Since you can't seem to stop running your mouth, I'll put it to better use."

And with that, Christian frees himself from his worn, playroom jeans, and shoves himself down her throat.

Ana silently gags a little.

"Suck."

Tears spring to Ana's eyes.

 _Was this really her Christian?_

Ana does as she told, and swirl her tongue around him. She knew how to give a good blow job since she was 12, and as she went through the motions, feeling him grow in her mouth, her mind wonders back to Steve.

She shudders.

Ana tries hard to keep her focus on Christian. After all, this wasn't Steve. This was the guy who brought her McDonald's when she was hungry. This was the guy who read bed-time stories to Teddy and Phoebe, This was the guy who allowed her to lean against him when she needed it. He cuddled and hugged her, wiped her tears and made her laugh. He wasn't Steve.

Christian abruptly yanks himself out of her.

"That's enough of that, go to the whipping bench."

Again, not a single protest, Ana gets up, her jaw slightly aching, and drapes herself over the mahogany, wood bench.

"What's your safe words?"

"Yellow and red sir."

"Good, let's start. Tell me Anastasia, why are you being punished?"

"I disobeyed you sir."

"That's right, in this room, in this scene, in this club, I'm always you're master. You answer to me, not your fucking ex-Dom, do you agree?"

"Yes."

 _Smack._

Ana sucks in a sharp breath. He was really angry.

"Yes sir." She quietly corrects herself.

"Better. Now, let's begin." She hears Christian say.

Suddenly, a burning sensation cuts across her backside.

A belt. He's using a belt.

Ana silently grips the corner of the bench with her hands as another stroke fell. Tears formed by the 5th stroke. She was biting her tongue by the 10th, and she lost track after 15.

Christian's breathing heavily as the belt fell from his hand.

Fuck. What had he done?

20 strokes.

What was he thinking?

Ana could no longer keep her sobs quiet, and one catches in her throat. Gingerly, she pushes herself up, tears flowing freely down her pretty face.

Christian couldn't meet her gaze.

He just abused her. He abused the girl he loved and cherished because of his anger.

Ana carefully gets up, thinking he would give her a big hug any second and he'll scoop her up, tell her everything was ok. He'll take her home, and he probably has some sort of pain meds, and he'll take care of her, and…and…everything will be ok.

She looks at him with pleading, sad, blue eyes. Her body was making little shivers, probably from the endorphins swimming in her system.

"Christian…" She whispers.

But all he said was. "I'll have someone take care of you, and Taylor will take you home."

With that, he left.

Ana couldn't help it as another sob bursts out of her and she sinks to the floor, her body succumbing to all the pain and heartache. She was a sad, little heap on the floor.

She feels a hand, a woman's hand, gently brushing her hair back.

"Sweetheart, Christian sent me up here to take care of you."

"I'm…ok…" Ana manages to stutter out as she sits up, visibly wincing. However, the girl with long, wavy red hair and sea green eyes smiles lovingly at her.

"No, it's ok. Let me take care of you. Christian asked me to. Here, put this on." She hands Ana a robe. Her voice was incredibly kind.

"Do…do you work here?" Ana asks, still sniffling, and the girl nods. "Yes, I help doms take care of the aftercare if they can't do it themselves."

At this, more tears form in Ana's eyes.

Christian didn't love her.

 **A/n: I know you guys all hate Christian right now. Trust me, I do too, but I'm hoping you guys will give me the benefit of the doubt to turn this story into something good. My characters aren't perfect, I make them that way so you guys can watch them grow and change. It's what I believe makes a good story. I'm going to repeat here: I'm not using my story to advertise pedophilia, domestic abuse or anything like that like some trolls suggest. I simply want to write a story, show the wrongs of the character and make them change in the end, I hope in the end I'm able to show that I advertise** **against** **things such as pedophilia, child and domestic abuse, and show girls or women who have been through a tough time that they can change and take control of their life, and whatever happened to them isn't their fault. I hope by pointing out the ugly things, and making people aware of them, I can make a small change ;) Love you guys, Lauren.**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you! Thank you for all the support and lovely reviews even though I haven't updated in like a month. Thank you for not giving up on this story and me! It truly means the world. I know the last chapter was hard to read, hopefully, this one is a little bit better...**

 **Also, I'm really bad at responding to reviews, now that I'm in college, I just don't have the time, but please know that they are ALL very much appreciated and I can never thank you guys enough! I will try to respond to some time to time, but please just know I love them all regardless if I respond or not.**

 **Please ignore any grammar mistake**

 **Chapter 8-Comfort**

Christian drags a tired hand down his face.

 _Shit, what had he done?_

Images of Ana's tear stained cheek enter his mind, and he closes his eyes in pain, regret fluttering across his features as he squeezes his eyes shut.

 _Shit._

 _He failed. He failed as a dominant. He left her alone after he punished her. He didn't do anything for aftercare. He left her. He left her to her own tears while he should've been the one wiping them away._

 _He failed his kitten._

He was a chickenhearted bastard.

Yes, that's exactly what he was, what he is. He is a selfish, chickenhearted bastard. He was so angry with Jack that he took that anger out on Ana, something a Dom should never do to a sub, and something a man should never do to a woman.

Another image, Ana's crying as he shoves her away, flitters across his mind.

 _Fuck._

 _How much did he drink afterward?_

Christian stumbles over his own feet as he tumbles out of bed. He hastily pulls on sweat pants and fumbles with the door knob as he, once again, stumbles out of his room.

"Christian?"

A small voice calls, and Christian turns to see Phoebe. She's clutching her beloved teddy bear he got her a week ago, and her hair is a fuzzy mess. She's wearing princess pajamas, her feet bare, eyes wide with alarm.

Christian forces the panic down his throat as he crouches down.

"Yes tiger?" He asks, cringing at how horse his voice sounded.

Phoebe warily walks over, regarding him with those big, blue eyes, and Christian holds out his arm for her.

"Ana didn't come home last night…" Phoebe mumbles once she's in Christian's arm. She crinkles her nose. He smelled bad.

Christian's heart drops.

"I had a nightmare…" Phoebe begins. "I…I…I went into Ana's room…and…she wasn't there…you weren't here either…Gail…Gail was here."

Christian forces himself to smile. "I'm sorry tiger." He says, voice sincere as he rubs her back soothingly. "We went out last night. Ana's probably just with some friends, alright?"

Phoebe nods, a yawn escaping her, and she holds up both arms. Christian smiles, genuinely this time, as he picks her up, and she immediately clutches onto him.

It was amazing how this small, tiny creature trusted him so wholeheartedly.

She has learned to trust a monster. Christian thinks to himself as he walks up the stairs with her in his arms.

Although he will cut off his own hand before he ever hurt Phoebe, Christian was sickened with himself. He was a monster. He made people trust him, but then he so blatantly broke that trust.

Just like he broke Ana's trust last night.

And now, she's gone.

Christian didn't doubt she will come back. Ana will never leave Phoebe and Teddy in a million years, but she no longer trusted him.

How could she?

He broke her down, left her completely vulnerable, and he didn't look after that vulnerability. She trusted him, and he broke her.

Christian gently lays Phoebe down in bed, pulling the covers over her, and he presses a kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep tight, tiger." He whispers.

Christian waits at the door for a few minutes, making sure Phoebe was asleep before slipping downstairs, catching Taylor just in time.

Before he can even say anything, Taylor levels him with a cold look. "I took Ana to Elliot's sir, he demanded it, and frankly, I agree with him."

XXXXXXXXXX

"What the actual fuck do you think you're doing here?" Elliot asks when Christian shows up at his door, hair disheveled, eyes baggy, reeking of alcohol.

Christian couldn't look his brother in the eye. Finally, he mumbles: "Ana's here."

Elliot scoffs.

"Yes she is, but you have no business of seeing her." Elliot steps outside, shutting the door, and before Christian can realize what's happening, punches him square in the jaw.

"You promised me." Elliot hisses. "You promised me you weren't angry when you went to punish her last night."

Another punch, and Christian's knocked to the ground.

He could roll back up, punch back. He was most likely stronger than Elliot, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't fight back. He deserved this.

"You fucking whipped her twenty times." Elliot continues to seethe, yanking Christian up only to shove him against the wall.

"And then you left. You fucking left." Elliot's on a rampage. He's been waiting for his brother to show up. "You left. She cried herself to sleep last night, and all you cared about was using her and then getting wasted? Some fucking dom you are." Elliot growls, getting one last swing in before he releases Christian.

"I couldn't face her. I was too guilty." Christian murmurs.

"I…I…I…" Elliot mocks. "It's always about you, do you not know that the first responsibility of a Dom is supposed to be to look after of his Sub's well-being? You made her cry, and you're telling me you didn't even have the fucking decency to give her a hug? She's a fucking child Chris!" Elliot's anger increases a notch. "I know she's nineteen, but guess what, emotionally, she's a child. She's been abused her whole life, all she wants is to feel safe. She takes care of her two siblings, and she's been surviving all these years, and maybe that's ok, maybe that's how she survived by shutting herself out, but you can't just waltz into her life and drop her like some sack of trash when you're not feeling up to handling her emotions."

"I know, I know." Christian whispers, bracing for another punch.

"Kate needed to stay with her last night." Elliot finally says, his anger dying, and he takes a step back.

Christian's gut clenches.

"Can I see her?" He asks.

Elliot ponders this for a second. He should say no. He knows it. Christian knows it. He didn't deserve to see her. Not after what he did, but somehow, his heart was contradicting his brain.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana curls herself up, clutching the pillow Kate gave her as silent tears trickle down her cheeks.

She was acting childish. She knew she was acting childish. She should go home, go back to Teddy and Phoebe. They will cheer her up, remind her why she was doing this.

Christian shouldn't have to comfort her, she was a big girl, she's been for a long time. She handled much worse before.

Yet, he hurt her the most.

Ana couldn't deny it. She loved Christian. She loved him, and when he shoved her away last night, it broke her heart. He always told her that she wasn't a whore, but isn't that what she is? She was just a girl he paid to fuck, he didn't owe her anything. She shouldn't ask for comfort from him.

She was just a stupid, little girl.

Suddenly, a knock on her door startles her, and Elliot's head comes peeking in.

Ana manages a small smile at Elliot. Elliot was so kind. Last night, after she came out of the room silently crying by herself. He and Kate were waiting by the doorsteps. They took her back to their place. Kate stayed with her while Elliot went to make chicken-noodle soup. They kept on giving her hugs, trying to comfort her.

Ana wished she could love someone like Elliot instead.

"Hey El." She whispers, rubbing her red-rimmed eye.

"Hey." Elliot smiles back at her. "I have someone who wants to see you, but if you don't want to see him, that's completely fine as well."

Ana sniffles and when she looks up, Christian's there. He looks terrible, like he hasn't slept.

Like her.

His grey eyes are pained.

"Kitten." He whispers, but before he could move forward, Elliot stops him.

"Ana, do you want my asshole brother here? Or do you want me to throw him out and whip his ass instead?"

A sob catches in Ana's throat. "I don't want you to whip him..." She hiccups as two more lone tears roll down her cheek.

Elliot smiles warmly at her. "I know sweetheart, it was just a bad joke, but I can seriously have him leave if you want. This is about you and what you're comfortable with."

"Ana, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry kitten." Christian whispers, grey eyes pleading with her.

Ana tries to give a nonchalant shrug. "Doesn't matter, you can let him in." She murmurs.

"Ok." Elliot steps aside. "If you need anything, just holler alright?" And nailing Christian with one final look, Elliot backs off.

Once Elliot leave, Ana turns around so she's facing away from Christian. She didn't really want to talk to him. She loved him, and while she didn't expect him to love her back, he left.

Christian sighs, gently touching her shoulder. "kitten." He whispers, but Ana shrugs him off.

"I'm sorry." Christian apologizes again. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to make her forgive him, but he needed her to forgive him.

"You didn't do anything wrong, it's not like the contract requires you to give me aftercare." Ana murmurs, and Christian's heart breaks.

"it's still wrong though." He softly argues.

Ana shrugs.

"Can I hold you?" Christian tentatively asks.

"You own me, you can do what you want." Ana replies, curling her body tighter around herself.

Christian's heart nearly scrunches up and dies on the spot.

"I didn't mean it like that." He mumbles. "I'm sorry, I just want to comfort you. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, I…just…I…."

Ana shrugs again, and Christian mentally punches himself.

"Kitten." He whispers. The mattress shifts due to his weight as he crawls on top of the bed and next to her.

Ana brings her knees up, making her body even smaller, and turns her face to the side so she won't have to stare at his pleading grey eyes.

Gently, so gently, Christian tugs her into his embrace, wrapping his arms protectively around her, cradling her head to his chest.

At first, Ana lies completely stiff in his arm, body unyielding, but Christian continues to hold her, murmuring soft words in her ear. They weren't apologies. Christian didn't want her to forgive him. He did, of course, but his foremost concern was to make her feel safe, cherished. The way he should've made her feel yesterday.

Plus, forgiveness was kind of a selfish thing to ask for.

Slowly, Ana relaxes, her body bowed up against him like a child's. Christian had one arm curled around her head while his other arm was wrapped protectively around her, hugging her towards him. He had his chin rested against the crown of her head as he continued to comfort her, letting her silent tears soak his shirt.

A tear rolls down Ana's cheek. She loved this gentle side of Christian. Where was he last night? Why did he shove her away? Was it because she was used by another Dom?

Tainted?

The thought makes a sob break through her, and Christian instantly moves his hand up to caress her back.

"Shhhh…Shhhh…don't cry beautiful, please don't cry."

The words, however, only made her cry harder.

"I…I…thought…you hated…hated me…" Ana stammers, hiccupping, and Christian plants several soft kisses along hair her hairline.

"Shhhh..." Christian murmurs and kisses her hair again.

When Ana's tears have finally run dried, Christian gently brushes a piece of hair back, smoothing it against her skull and planting a kiss on her head.

"Do you want me to run you a bath?" he asks, still stroking her hair. "It might help you relax a bit, make you more comfortable." He adds.

Ana shrugs before giving a little nod, her fingers still clutching onto the edge of his shirt.

Christian sighs as he hugs her closer. "Shhhh….it's ok, I got you." He stands up, gathering her into his arms and Ana leans her head on his chest.

"I'm going to put you down so I can run the water, ok?" Christian asks when he reaches the bathroom, and Ana gives a little nod as she untangles herself from him.

Christian runs the water, checking the temperature with his hands, and Ana decides to quickly undress. She turns around so he can't see her butt and all of the hideous welts layering over one another. She knew he felt guilty about it. If he didn't, he wouldn't be here taking care of her, and truly, she could never stay mad at Christian when he was so gentle. She has already forgiven him.

Christian turns around to look at her with those sad, tired eyes. He already knew how badly he hurt her.

Taking her hand, Christian gently picks her up and carefully sets her down into the warm water, chocking back on his own emotions when he actually sees the damage on her skin. "I'm sorry I hurt you." He says, his voice cracking.

Christian climbs in also, positioning himself behind her so he can hold her in the cradle of his body.

God. She seemed small tonight.

Gently and carefully, Christian begins to wash her hair, her back.

Ana leans against him, the water stung at first but now it was soothing. Christian gazes at her with those beautiful grey eyes, and it's just now that she notices the two bruises forming along his jaw.

Reaching up, she gently touches one with her finger. "What happened?" She asks, and Christian cracks a smile.

"Elliot punched me."

Ana sucks in a sharp breath, but before she could say anything, Christian interrupts her. "I fully deserved it, what I did last night…"

He shakes his head.

"Hey." Ana says, turning around so she can look at him, placing her hand on his cheek.

"I didn't safe word. You didn't do anything wrong."

Christian shakes his head again. "You forgive too easily. What I did was wrong in every sense of the world."

Ana looks down. She knew she forgave too easily, but with Christian, it was too easy. It was too easy to love him instead of fear him.

Christian doesn't say anything else as he continues to hold her, occasionally pressing a kiss to her shoulder or hair.

"Tell me." He finally murmurs. "Tell me how can I make this up?"

"I will do anything." He softly adds when Ana remains silent.

Ana gives another little shrug, another lone tear rolling down her cheek, and Christian gently spins her around, making sure not to put any undue pressure on her backside, as he thumbs away her tear.

"Just…don't leave…again…" Ana stammers, and Christian's heart breaks into a million pieces.

"Never." He promises, strong hands continue to caress her cheek, wiping away the salty tracks. "I will never leave you like I did last night. You have my promise on that ok? And I'll stay with you as much as you want…You can sleep with me if you want…or…or if you're more comfortable by yourself…or if you just want me to stay with you is fine…whatever you want is perfectly fine…You just have to tell me…and I'll do anything…I'll…." Christian rambles as Ana's eye fill with new tears.

"I'm scared…" She confesses, and looking at her naked, skinny body with her long brown hair draping down her back and across her boobs, body making little shivers even though the water was warm and red rimmed eyes, Christian, for the first time, realizes how fucked up this was. "I'm…really scared…" Ana chokes, and Christian hugs her towards him, swallowing back the lump in his throat.

"That's fine. That's completely fine." He murmurs, stroking her back. "We'll cancel our contract, you can never see me again if you want." He says even though the thought was killing him.

"You still need to accept the money though." He quietly adds.

Ana sniffles. "I'm not scared of you." She whispers, blue eyes clearer than the arctic-ocean.

Christian brushes his knuckles along her cheekbone. "Than what is it you're scared of?" He asks. "I'll destroy anyone who causes you a moment of pain." His voice burns with sincerity, and ironically enough, Christian meant himself as well.

Any snivels. "Nightmares…they're…back…"

Christian pulls her towards him again, and this time, his hold is much stronger. "Shhh…I'll stay with you every night and I'll catch all of your bad dreams."

The promise, of course, was totally unrealistic, nobody could really prevent nightmares from happening, but knowing that he'll be with her, helped ease Ana's fear and she nods against his chest, still clutching onto him.

Christian holds her some more, both of them chin deep in foam, and he keeps on peppering her face with a thousand kisses, kissing away all of the tears and heartache.

Finally, when the water started to get cold and their skin begins to wrinkle, Christian gently lifts her out of the tub. Grabbing towels from the heated racks, he gently dries her and grabs some of Kate's old pajama shorts and sweat shirt, making sure she was all snug and cozy before carefully combing out her hair.

Ana gives one last sniffle as she lays her head against his chest and Christian kisses her hair before scooping her up. He gently lays her on the bed, curling her small body beside his "Are you comfortable?" He asks, interlacing their fingers and squeezing her hand.

Ana gives a small nod back, arms still wrapped around him. She didn't understand why she was so clingy. Subs were often clingy after harsh scenes and bad punishments, but she was never like that. She could usually lock away her emotions and walk out without any problem, but with Christian….

Christian continues to stroke her hair. "Does this feel nice?" He asks, a little shy and unsure of himself. "I always liked it when people played with my hair. It helps calm me."

Ana nods a small nod. "Can you hold me tighter?" She softly requests.

Christian pulls her closer against him, draping his one leg over both of hers, and wraps both arms tightly around her, kissing her forehead.

"Like this?" He asks.

Ana smiles softly. "Yeah." She whispers. "This feels nice."

 **A/N: Thoughts?**

 **Also, a happy holiday and Merry Christmas to my lovely, beautiful, and supportive readers! Love you guys, Lauren.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello, my beautiful readers, hoped everyone had a lovely holiday and a wonderful new years! I'm back with a new chapter as well, thank you for the continued support, it really does mean a ton!**

 **Warning: The part at the end of the chapter that's part of Ana's flashback and in italics may contain sensitive material hard for some readers to read.**

 **Chapter 9-Hold my Hand**

Ana was still sleeping by Christian's side like a trusting child, head pillowed on his chest as he gently runs his hand through the ends of her hair, still wet from the bath, when Kate comes in.

She gives Christian a cold look. She was absolutely furious with him. All dominants knew that the maximum strokes, especially those ministered by a belt and with Christian's strength, should be 12 at the very max, but he was too concerned about his own anger that he forgot about Ana, and Ana, the sweet thing she is, didn't know how to safe word. She accepted abuse her whole life. It was clear to Kate, she was a power submissive, willing to throw herself at her master's feet if he all but demanded her life.

Christian gives Kate a tired smile. He knew she was absolutely furious with him. He was absolutely furious with himself, the guilt still clawing and chewing at his heart every time he looked at Ana, and the welts. Jesus. He had broken several places on her skin, and ugly bruises crept along the angry, red slashes across her perfect, alabaster skin.

Christian makes a shush sign with his hand. He didn't want Kate to wake Ana. She needed every bit of rest she could get.

Kate sits down by the bed and gazes at Ana's sleeping form, as peaceful as a child, before she looks back up at Christian.

"If it's ok, when Ana wakes, I would like to take her out." Kate softly requests, and Christian immediately furrows his eyebrows.

"I know she still needs to heal." Kate quickly adds, but there's an art gallery opening, and I know Ana loves art. I'll be with her the entire time."

Christian's brows remain furrowed. "I don't know…" He finally starts. "Ana's really fragile right now…". Usually, he would demand Kate to drop the subject, but given everything, what she was requesting was more than fair.

"I know she's fragile right now." Kate glares at Christian. "And who fault do you think that is?"

Christian looks down, adverting his gaze.

"look." Kate relents, easing up a bit. "All I want is to take Ana out, have a girl's night, get her mind off of everything that's making her so unhappy."

"You mean me." Christian says regrettably, and Kate nods.

"I just want Ana to get away for a short bit, maybe go dancing. She's nineteen Christian, this is supposed to be the time of her life."

Christian mauls over Kate's words. She was right. He wanted Ana to be happy. She's suppose to be out there, see the world, forget about Jack, him, and everyone who has every hurt her.

"Ok." He finally nods.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Bourbon?" Elliot gives Christian a side long glance and Christian nods, his mind wondering to Ana. Again.

Kate has managed to get her out of the house, and for a brief while, she looked happy, squealing with delight, and she even gave Christian a big hug before she left.

Elliot doesn't say anything as he downs the first glass. He knew his brother. He was a closed book, and he won't say anything before he loosened up, just a bit.

Christian downs two glasses as well, feeling the alcohol burn in the back of his throat. He knew Elliot wanted him to talk. Hell, he needed to talk, needed to tell Elliot how he felt. Elliot knew a lot about bdsm and the human psychology. He also knew a lot about how take care of someone when they were wounded, whether physically or emotionally.

Finally, after downing his third glass, Christian opens his mouth. "I fucked up." He croaks. "She told me she was scared to sleep because she had nightmares. I brought those nightmares back."

Elliot sighs, putting down his own glass. "You did fuck up." He says because he didn't want to give Christian any false illusion that what he did was ok, but at the same time, he didn't want Christian to overly blame himself. He was here now, doing the right thing.

"You can only try to make it up to her."

"I don't think I can." Christian's voice cracks.

"Well, you're here now. That counts for something right?"

Christian turns his head away as a tear slips out. "What I did was unforgivable."

Elliot responds with a shrug. "Nobody's perfect. I fucked up too."

At this, Christian lets out a soft snort. "Like the one time you accidentally dislocated Kate's shoulder in suspension play?"

A wry smiles kisses Elliot's lips. "Like that time." He confirms.

Christian looks back down at his glass. "But that wasn't intentional though, it was just an accident. I…"

"You fuck up, you make it up to her and you try to move on." Elliot gently interrupts his brother.

Christian sighs, and looking down, buries his head in his hands. "I never wanted to hurt her."

Elliot nods. "I don't think any dom wants to hurt one of their subs, but Ana, she's different to you, isn't she?"

Christian nods. There's no denying this now, and after a period of silence, he quietly adds. "I want her, but I don't deserve her."

Elliot cocks his head to the side. "Then who does she deserve? You're a good guy Christian."

Christian keeps his gaze fixed on the distance. Finally, after another swig, he softly whispers. "She deserves someone who will buy her roses every day."

Elliot continues to keep his head cocked, observing his brother. "And you're telling me you don't have the money to buy some stupid, over-priced flower?"

Christian shakes his head. "No, it's not that El. You don't get it."

"What don't I get?"

"Ana." Christian says, roughly pinching his nose. "She deserves someone special, some guy who will buy her flowers everyday even though she doesn't want them, who will cook dinner for her and be gentle with her, who will watch some stupid chick flick even though he'd rather watch football, who will do the dishes, who will try to come up with lame jokes to make her laugh, and when she's sad, who will hold her and just let her cry, someone who will be the perfect brotherly or fatherly figure to Phoebe and Teddy, who…"

Elliot smiles warmly. "Can't you see?"

"see what?"

"You're that guy Christian." Elliot says, blue eyes sparkling. "Except for the cooking of course, I wouldn't eat anything you'd cook unless I had a death wish."

Christian sighs. "I don't know, I'm a sadist…and Ana…"

"and Ana's a masochist. Sure, it was wrong how she got into this lifestyle, but can you say she doesn't enjoy your time in the playroom?"

Christian gives a broken chuckle. "Yes, I guess, but last night…"

"Last night will never happen again. I won't allow it, and if it does, I will have Kate chop off your balls and put them in the fryer.

Christian chuckles again, and that's when Elliot notices the tears. His brother was crying.

Christian never cried. Never.

The only time Elliot saw Christian cry was that unfortunate night when he first found him with Elena, and his whole back was canned raw.

"I don't know what to do." Christian finally admits, rubbing his temples, and Elliot sights, laying his hand on Christian's shoulder.

"There's not much you can do. You have to give her time to heal. It's clear she's been abused a lot, and it's clear she has never allowed herself to heal from that. What you did last night was horrible, but I don't think it's what broke her. If you truly love her, you will give her time. She never trusted someone, I can tell, but she trusts you. She's very vulnerable right now, and she might be very emotional the next few days, you just need to be patient."

"But what do I do? I'm not good…with…I never…comforted someone."

Elliot eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean? I know you're capable of comforting someone. Hell, you just did. I never seen any dominant treat his submissive as gently as you just treated Ana. There's not much else. You just need to be sure to give her a lot of hugs, even if she acts like she doesn't need them, do small gestures, show her you care, listen to her if she opens up about things. You can open up yourself as well."

Christian scoffs. "You know I don't talk about Elena or my birth mom."

"You can." Elliot counters. "Show her you understand, you understand what it's like to be a submissive. More importantly, you understand what it's like to be abused."

Christian slams his glass down. "Damn it Elliot, I wasn't abused."

"Yes you were, and you won't admit it to yourself. This is why we're having this conversation right now, and you don't want to hear it, but it's also the reason why you allowed yourself to go over the line last night. You were abused Christian, why can't you accept that?"

"It was consensual." Christian mutters, and Elliot has to mentally calm himself, taking a deep breath.

"So that night I found you, fuck 20 times, how many times did Elena cane you? 50?" Elliot glares. In his mind, he can still see Christian's back, canned black and blue, from the top of his shoulder blades to his thighs.

"That night was a long time ago. I thought we already had our fight about this. You forced me to see a shrink, isn't that enough?" Christian demands.

"Yeah." Elliot scoffs. "Because I thought seeing a shrink will help you cope with what happened, and in turn, I didn't tell mom and Elena's still not in jail. Do you know how fucked up that is?"

Christian rolls his eyes. He was done arguing with Elliot about this.

Elliot takes two more deep breaths. He knew this argument was useless. It made him so sad, what Elena did to his brother, how she manipulated him, how he can't see the wrong done to him. He knows arguing won't do any good. With Christian, fighting usually got you nowhere. He was a stubborn headed pig.

"All I'm saying." Elliot murmurs. "Is trying to talk to Ana might help her open up, but you need to be patient. She's scared now. Your job is to make her feel safe."

Christian nods. That part made sense.

"Also." Elliot adds. "I don't know for sure, but I have a gut instinct that Ana was abused as a kid. She probably didn't have a father, and she might have…um…"

"Daddy issues?" Christian questions, suppressing a snort.

Elliot however remains completely serious. "Yeah. It will explain why she doesn't trust people. I'm not saying she has a daddy kink, I'm saying that she might get attached to strong male figures easily, maybe that's why she's into the lifestyle because she wants someone to take care of her, and I don't mean economically although that had a huge part, but mentally. She needs comfort and love, Christian."

Christian stares at his glass of bourbon. "Do you think she'll ever overcome it? The abuse?"

Elliot tilts his head to the side, a curious look on his face. "Yeah, I think she can. She's very strong."

"She is, isn't she?" Christian couldn't keep the pride out of his voice, and Elliot smiles.

Just then, the door slams open, and Kate stumbles in with Ana.

Elliot gets up, as does Christian, and narrows his eyes. "Katherine." He uses Kates full name. "Do not tell me you got Ana, who's not 21, drunk."

Kate shrugs a little shrug. Elliot can seem scary and intimidating at time, and any minute, he might go all psycho-dom on her, but she was used to it, and she loved his dominant side.

"I just wanted to loosen her up, she seemed sad, so I ordered a martini and gave it to her. I didn't know she couldn't handle any alcohol.

"Regardless." Elliot keeps his gaze steady. "You shouldn't have done it. It's against the law. You should be glad you're only getting in trouble with me."

Kate rolls her eyes, a sexy smile hanging by her lips. "You can spank me for it later, but Ana's a wreck here."

It's just now that Elliot turns his gaze towards Christian. He was trying to calm Ana, and she was trying to speak through tears.

"I'm sorry…sorry for everything…I…didn't mean…*hiccup* to defy *hiccup* you."

"Hey, shhh, it's ok."

That was Christian's voice, but Ana's not having it as she continues to talk.

"I *hiccup* sorry…Jack…*hiccup* and I….he took my virginity…I wanted…"

"Shhh…it's ok baby." Christian spoke against her as he gathered her in his arm, sitting down by a nearby sofa and reaching for a nearby minifridge to pull out a cold bottle of water. "Here baby, drink a little bit." Christian nudges the water bottle against her lip, and Ana obediently takes a sip as she lets out another little sob.

"I'm sorry." She apologizes again against Christian. Her fingers somehow found their way into his shirt collar, and she laid her hand against his heart as she continues to sniffle.

"Shhh…" Christian whispers. "Here, take another sip of water…"

Ana drinks several more gulps, couple of small water-droplet spilling over and trickling down her chin. Christian smiles as he gently wipes the spilled water away.

"Take a deep breath." He gently commands, and Ana obliges, body still shaking a little.

"Good girl." Christian softly praises as she sniffles again.

Brushing her hair back, Christian plants a kiss against her temple. "Can you tell me what happened, kitten?"

Ana was still semi drunk and she hiccups. "I…I wanted Jack to hold me hand…" Tears were still trickling down her pretty face, and Christian takes her hand, planting a gentle kiss to it.

"You wanted Jack to hold your hand, what happened then?" He asks, voice full of warmth and kindness as two more big tears roll down Ana's cheeks.

"He slapped me…" She sniffles, but Christian remains calm. He needed to find out what happened. He knew the situation wasn't ideal, that he shouldn't try to get Ana to talk to him now. He should put her to bed, give her more water and Advil, but he couldn't help it. His heart was pounding beneath his calm surface, seizing him. He needed to know. He needed to know with a desperate urge sweeping through every bone in his body. He needed to know so he could protect her. He needed to know so he could go beat Jack to a bloody pulp. He just needed to know, and he wasn't sure if her was ever going to have the chance to find out.

"Ok, so you wanted him to hold your hand, and he slapped you?" Christian asks, making sure to keep his voice soft as to not startle her, and Ana nods against him.

"I…I…just wanted…to be able…to feel human touch…he tied me up…I tried to ask him…I tried…"

"Was this when he took your virginity?" Christian asks, unconsciously tightening his grip on her. He hoped to god the answer was no, for Jack's sake, but Ana gives another small nod against him.

"He trained me, took my…*sniffle* virginity…*sniffle* He liked…knife play…*sniffle* and *sniffle* anal."

Christian needed to force himself to take deep breaths and stay calm but the task was proving more and more difficult by the second.

Bending over, Christian squeezes her one hand, their fingers still interlocked as he plants another kiss on the crown of her head before weaving his other arm around her so he could hold her closer and whispering in her ear.

"From now on, I'll hold your hand, alright? You can hold my hand."

Ana's eyes fill with new tears. "You're…so…sweet." She chokes as more tears roll down her cheeks and Christian press a kiss to her one face, tasting the salty tracks.

"It's my job darlin'. I want to fuss and look after you."

XXXXXXXXXX

Morning comes, and Ana's eyes slowly flutter open. She smiles a small, timid smile when she sees Christian bent over her.

"Hey there." She whispers.

"Hey." Christian smiles back.

Ana's smile quickly turns into a frown when she feels her headache, and Christian seems to sense this as well.

"Here." He says, helping her sit up, and gives her a big glass of orange juice as well as two small Advil.

Ana obediently takes the medicine and drinks the OJ.

"Do you remember what happened?" Christian asks, and Ana frowns.

 _From now on, I'll hold your hand, alright? You can hold my hand._

Somehow, that sentence imprinted itself in her memory.

"I was drunk?" Ana questions, and Christian nods, letting out a small snort. "I should've knew better than to let Kate take you out last night."

"I…I…don't remember much after that." Ana confesses, twisting her fingers in her lap, and Christian smiles gently, caressing her cheek.

"You came home." He answers, lips tugging into a frown. "You told me things, do you remember any of that?"

Ana slowly shakes her head, eyes wide, as her eyes fill with tears. "I…I…remember you telling me you'll hold my hand."

Christian smiles again, his eyes crinkling. And ironically, he reaches for her hand then, gently brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "You told me about Jack, you said you wanted him to hold your hand but he didn't, he slapped you."

Ana's breathing gets harder. _Please god, she did not tell him about how she lost her virginity. What was he thinking. Did he still want her?_

"I…I…don't…remember…" Ana stammers, but Christian tugs her into his embrace instead.

"You don't have to say or explain anything, ok?" His voice was a soft rumble against her back. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, and I promise, Jack will die in the deepest levels of hell, but I want you to know, if you ever need somebody to hold your hand, you have me alright?"

 _flashback: Ana_

 _I'm tied to the bed, the ceiling fan rotates slowly above me, sending a chilly breeze through the room. I struggle against my restraints, pulling my wrist as a sharp pain shoots through my arm because of how tight i'm tide._

 _The cold knot in my stomach continues to tightens. I know this isn't right. Jack said he was going to train me, and I knew we were going to have sex. He told me he would train me so I could learn how to please other doms. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter._

 _Just then, Jack steps into the room, his lip tugged in a half smirk._

 _"How r u doing sweet thing?" he asks, and my stomach tightens._

 _I want to ask him to be gentle. I haven't done this, but instead, I swallow._

 _"Hmmm, not going to answer me, are you?" I hear anger enters into Jack's voice, and he hits me hard with a flogger, making me jerk painfully against my restraint._

 _"Sorry master." I whisper, tears blurring my vision as my fear heightens._

 _"I should really teach you more manners before we start." And with that, the flogger hits me again, and again._

 _Finally, when my whole body feels raw and I see thin blood lines marring the sheets does Jack stops. I'm sniffling miserably, but somehow the flogger isn't what scares me, sex scares me more._

 _closing my eyes, I inhale a shaky breath. I really wanted, no i needed human touch, a gentle caress, a pat, a squeeze of the hand. I needed something to help me get through this._

 _With a small, shaky voice, I whisper: "Master, can you hold my hand? I'm scared."_

 _It's not until later how stupid I realized I was being._

 _Jack's blue eyes turn to glaciers as he yanks me up by my hair._

 _"What did you say bitch?"_

 _"Sorry." I whimper. "I just wanted..."_

 _I'm cut off my him slapping me so hard that I almost black out._

 _"You are not to demand anything, I'm the master, do you hear me slut?" Jack growls, and I don't even have the energy to nod._

 _End of flashback._

"Ana!"

Ana snaps back to reality with Christian looking at her in concern.

"Are you ok? You were off somewhere." He murmurs, and Ana quickly assures him. "Yeah, no, I'm fine... I just...never mind."

It's only until now that she notices the tear tracks running down her cheek.

Christian sighs. "I wish I could erase whatever bad memories you had."

Ana smiles, and reaching over, gently takes his hand, giving his fingers a squeeze.

"You already do, just by holding my hand."

 **Thoughts?**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/n-Ok, so I owe everyone an explanation and a HUGE apology, I know I haven't updated this in more than two months, and I'm so, so, sorry. College has been really busy and I'm taking 20 credits this semester since I'm trying to double major. I'm really sorry for not updating, but I promise I'll do better since I've finally gotten use to a heavy workload and hopefully can write some more. Also, thank you everyone for your undying support, this group truly is amazing, and although I don't have time to reply to each one of them, I can't tell you how much all of the kind and positive reviews mean. Also, please ignore all grammar errors… Love, Lauren.**

 **Chapter 10-A New Contract**

"Hey," Christian slides behind Ana, brushing a piece of her fringe back. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

He feels Ana's body briefly tenses as she turns around, laying her head on his outstretched arm. Looking in her clear, artic ocean, deep blue eyes, it hits him square the gut. She was goddamn beautiful and strong. Even after everything, what Jack did to her, taking care of Phoebe and Teddy, him beating her with the belt, she can still manage to survive, to see the best in this world.

"I was thinking…" Christian's lips twitch up, "we can try something different this weekend."

It has only been five days since the incident with the belt, and Christian's gut clenched every time he thinks about how hard he whipped her, how she still has to slightly wince when she sits down, how heartbreaking her sobs were, how he even left her initially. However, since they were still doing the contract thing, he couldn't do anything to fix it, but this weekend, he was going to do things differently. He was going to treat her right, gentle, be slow, kiss away all of her tears, vanilla, roses, whatever she wanted. It didn't even have to be sex, he just wanted to hold her.

A shadow passes through Ana's eyes, and Christian's gut twists. Ana tenses once more, her body ready to draw away. "Will it hurt?" she asks softly.

"Wha…" Christian's speechless for a second. "Hurt?" he sputters.

Ana shrugs. "Yeah, you said you want to try something different, is it anal or something?" she murmurs, glancing down at her knotted fingers.

The knot only tightens in Christian's stomach. Christ, after everything, that's what she thinks he wanted to do, to use her?

"Ana." Christian calls, tilting her chin up with his finger, and his arms come around her when he sees bright tears brimming her eyes.

Jesus.

Christian was hoping she wouldn't ask questions, he wanted it to be a surprise, a good surprise. He wanted to surprise her with a date night, but how can he do that when she thought he was going to beat and use her again?

"It's not anal." He murmurs against her ear. "It has nothing to do with sex or the contract, I was just thinking…maybe you would want to go out with me or…."

At her astonished face, Christian quickly adds. "or it really doesn't matter, we don't have to do anything, I was just thinking, there's this fair, and I know this restaurant, we can go home and watch a movie, but I completely understand if you don't want to do anything, I thought…."

Christian stops talking when he feels soft fingers gently brush against his cheek. "Christian," Ana's lips twitch up, and now, there's definite relief in her eyes. "Of course I would love to go out with you. I'm sorry, I thought…"

Now it's Christian's turn to smile, but it quickly disappears as he sobers. "It's ok beautiful, after everything I put you…"

Before he can finish his sentence, a gentle finger is placed over his mouth, and Ana's smiling at him. "You don't put me through anything I don't want to be put through." She whispers.

"The belt…"

"Christian."

Christian didn't know how she did that, how she could stop his thoughts with one word, sometimes it was like she was the Dom, the way she stopped his worries, the way she could read him, the way she so easily dispelled every self-doubt and insecurity of his.

"Christian," Ana's still speaking softly, as if to not startle him, but her voice was also firm, not argumentative. "I already told you, I forgive you for that night. You were angry, I get it, ok? Stop blaming yourself."

Christian expels a long sigh. "I know, I just…feel like such shit for…I even left you afterwards. I never should've left…I never forget about aftercare, not until…"

"You're here now."

A smile touches Christian's lips, and changing topics, he rolls over, planting a kiss on Ana's head. "So is there anything in particular you want to do? Movie? Ice-Skate?"

Ana stifles a laugh. "Since when did Christian Grey go ice-skating?"

Playfully, Christian rolls his eyes and sighs in mock exasperation. "Do you have to challenge everything?"

A mischievous glint enters Ana's eyes. "Where would all the fun be then?"

Christian grins. Gosh, he loved her, loved her easy-going spirit, loved their banter, loved her heart, her soul, loved her laugh, her eyes, her collarbone, the bend of her elbow, he purple, chipped nail-polish, her soft lips, the tip of her nose, the shell of her ear, gosh, he just loved her.

Suddenly, Ana sobers. "Christian…" and Christian immediately detects the hesitation in her voice.

He frowns when he sees her lowering her eyelashes, a submissive gesture. "I…what are we going to do about the contract? I'm still your submissive right?"

Gently grasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, Christian tilts her head up. "It's whatever you want, kitten."

Ana becomes quieter, her voice barely above a whisper. "I…I…" and Christian's heart breaks for her. All of the stuff she's been through, and she's still trying to please him.

Gently tracing the outline of her jaw, her chin, her ear, Christian reaches into his bedside drawer, and taking out a blank check, he signs it.

"Ana, here's a check, I left the amount blank. Use it for whatever you need, whenever you need it, no matter how much. You are not bind to me in anyway. This money is rightfully yours, I also hope you'll keep your apartment, like I said, you earned it."

A warm smile spreads across Christian's face when Ana doesn't say anything, just staring at him. Internally, Christian knew this will be hard for her to accept, if he could even get her to accept it at all. She was so goddamn independent.

Folding the check, Christian tucks it in Ana's hand who still haven't said anything. "Think about it ok? You're still in school, and Phoebe and Teddy are still young."

Swallowing, Ana needs to clear her throat, and she clears it again as Christian grins and kisses her forehead. "I know it's a lot, but I don't want you to feel obligated to me for anything. I want you to be happy, and you can't be a sub the rest of your life, following someone's order. It was so wrong how you got into the lifestyle, Jack, everything about it, and before you argue with me about the money, I can promise you whatever amount will only be worth pennies to me, I want you to have it. I can't think of someone who deserves it more. As for the lifestyle…" Now, it's Christian turn to clear his throat. "I hope that we can always remain friends because I care about you deeply, but there's a very good chance that your happiness is not meant to be with me. Now, if you would truly, freely want to remain in the lifestyle for no monetary gains, I would like to rethink the entire contract before we come to any conclusions."

"Christian…." Bright tears spill over Ana's eyes as her fingers tremble, and Christian gently catches a drop of moisture with his finger. "Don't cry, sweet girl."

"I can't take this." A sob catches in Ana's throat.

"Just think about it, ok?" Christian gathers her in his arm, letting her rest her head against his chest.

Ana sighs, still sniffling. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Christian nuzzles her hair. "Shouldn't I be the one asking this question?" He asks, placing a kiss on her neck and Ana smiles.

They lay like that for a couple of minutes before Ana rolls over, "I should go check on Phoebe and Teddy." She says and Christian lets her go with another kiss on her cheek.

XXXXXXXXX

Christian and Ana walk hand in hand as they stroll around the fair. Phoebe is sitting on Christian's shoulder as Teddy is holding Ana's hand.

"Christian?" Phoebe requests, and Christian smiles up at the little girl.

"Yes princess?"

"I want that bear over there!" Phoebe points to a tent with a big, giant teddy bear twice the size of her.

"You do?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Well," Christian says, casting Ana a grin. "We'll see what we can do."

It was Saturday, and just like Christian promised, they didn't have kinky sex. Instead, they were doing date night like he suggested. Ana still hasn't said anything about the check or their current relationship, and Christian suspected she needed more time, but this, strolling around a small fair set up, having Phoebe and Teddy with them was exactly what he wanted. Everything came so easily and nothing was forced. There wasn't any pressure or stress of having to perform sexually, although Christian liked being a Dom, this was nice in its own way.

He loved that Ana could just relax and didn't have to worry about pleasing him. She looked so beautiful with her hair gathered up in a messy bun, and her long, flowing dress trailing behind her. Her smile was carefree and happy, and Christian can't help but feel like he's falling.

With Phoebe still on his shoulder, he walks over to the vendor and points to the teddy bear Phoebe wanted.

"How do I get that?"

The vendor, a middle age man with mocha hair and brown eyes smiles. "10 darts, 10 balloons." He says, pushing 10 darts in front of Christian, and with a twinkle in his eyes says. "I have to warn you though, no one has been able to get it tonight."

Christian lifts Phoebe off his shoulders as she giggles. "You can do it Christian!" She cheers, and Christian grins.

Rolling his shoulders back, Christian shrugs his arms, loosening up his muscles and making a show as Ana watches him with an amused smile.

10 minutes later, Christian has tried three times and still haven't hit a single balloon as he lets out a frustrated sigh and Ana laughs as the vendor smiles kindly. "Not as easy as it seems, huh?"

Phoebe reaches her arms out to Christian again, wanting to be held. "It's ok Christian," She says, and Christian grins sheepishly. "Sorry Phoebe, seems like I'm not a good thrower." He was just about to ask the vendor if can he buy the Teddy bear when Ana steps up.

"May I?"

Christian shrugs, and with a grin, buys another round of darts.

Thunk, Thunk, Thunk.

Christian doesn't miss the widening of the vendor's eyes as Ana hits every single one of the balloon.

Turning back around, Ana tosses Christian a sexy half smile. "At least one of us can throw."

The vendor also grins, handing Ana the big, fluffy Teddy bear and winks at Christian. "She's a keeper."

Christian smiles back warmly, picking up Ana's hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckle. "I know."

Phoebe is dragging the teddy bear behind her and Teddy is also fighting over it as Christian pulls Ana closer to him, whispering in her ear. "I've better be careful around you, huh? I didn't know you had such a good arm."

Ana laughs, a sexy, throw her hair back laugh. "You will do well to remember that, Mr. Grey."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ana presses a gentle kiss to Christian's mouth as he grins, pulling her onto him.

"What was that for?" He asks, still grinning. He looked so young and handsome in the dim glow of the bedroom light, his face relaxed, hair messy, happy.

It was the first time after the belt incident that Ana voluntary kissed him, and Christian didn't want it to end.

"For date night, I've never been on a date before. It was wonderful." Ana's slightly blushing, and Christian can't help but pull her on top of him, pressing another eager yet gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'm glad you liked it, I liked it too."

"So…" Ana's blush deepens, "I've been thinking about the contract and your offer…"

Christian raises his eyebrows, trying to act nonchalant as his heart jumps up in his throat. Dear god, he wanted her, but he didn't know if he deserved her, deserved that smile, that giggle, her laughter, her spirit, her soul. He wanted nothing more to than just hold and protect her. He hoped she would at least take the money though.

A small smile ghosts across Ana's face, her cheeks bright red. "I still want to be your submissive." She whispers, and Christian's smiles although his smile is tainted with sadness.

"Are you sure?" he asks, reaching up to caress her cheek, he passes his thumb pass her throat, feeling her pulse, so fragile yet alive.

"Yeah, I know…uh…I trust you." Ana whispers, her voice barely a squeak.

"And you're not doing this for money?" Christian asks, sobering. "Because Ana, you know I will provide for whatever you need right, even without the contract?"

"Yeah." Ana's blush deepens. "I want to be with you." She whispers.

Christian grins. "Ok, I need to get something set up, do you mind going to the living room and waiting?"

"What?" Ana's getting confused. "Christian, can we talk this out, what are you doing?"

Christian smiles, brushing his finger over her cheek. "You'll see kitten, now scoot.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ana's sitting in the living room, still confused when Christian appears in the doorway, a sexy smile hanging by his lips. He's still dressed from earlier before, wearing a pair of khakis and a dark, blue sweater.

Ana arches her eyebrows as Christian grins.

"Stand up." His command is firm yet there was an underlying note of tenderness to it.

When Ana does as she's told, Christian comes around and places both hands over her eyes.

"No peeking." He murmurs in her ear as goosebumps travel all the way down Ana's spine.

"Ok, we're almost there." Christian says, still guiding Ana as they stood before his bedroom. He gently leads her in, still making sure she's not looking and his heart warms when he hears she giggle. "What are we doing Christian?" Ana whines as Christian smile. "You can open your eyes now." Christian finally says.

Ana gasps as she opens her eyes. Strings of light hang from the ceiling, illuminating the bedroom in a soft glow. There's a glass of Champaign in an ice bucket and two glasses beside it. In the background, a song is playing, but what catches Ana's eyes is the bed. Christian's bed is nicely made with rose petals scattered over it, the bright red petals contrasting against his deep blue sheets.

"Christian." Ana doesn't know what to say as Christian walks up to her, gently grasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"If anything serious does happen between us, I want to set something straight. You won't be my submissive, you'd be my partner, we'd be equal. I should've done a lot of things at first, should've been gentle, should've…" Christian trails off and gives a shrug. "I guess this is my way of saying I'm sorry and I hope I can make it up? Gain back your trust?"

"Oh Christian." Bright tears brim Ana's eyes. "You've always had my trust, you never lost it." Gazing around the room once again, Ana shifts on her foot. "So are we…is this…vanilla?" She asks, voice no more above a whisper.

Christian grins, and bending down, presses a kiss to her nose. "Only if you want to."

"I'm scared." Ana confesses, hiding her face in his chest. "I won't know what to do with my hands, I've always been restrained."

Pressing another kiss to her head, Christian tightens his arms around her, holding her tight. "Don't be scared, you can just hold onto me ok?"

"Ok." Ana whispers.

Slowly, Christian's hand weave around her, unzipping her dress as he lets the flowy fabric fall to the ground, and he quickly chucks his clothes on the ground. Bending down, he plants soft kisses along Ana's neck as she squirms, and his hands slowly explore her body, soft, gentle caresses occasionally mixed up with a squeeze.

Soon, her bra and panties are off also, and Christian grins as he kneels before her, burying his head in her pussy. Ana gasps as his tongue finds her clit and he gently sucks, gripping her hip bone to keep her still as Ana weaves her hand through his hair, slightly tugging.

"You taste so good. *kiss* can't *kiss* get enough of *kiss* you."

"Christian…" Ana whines as Christian grins up at her.

"A little impatient are we?"

With one fluid motion, Christian grips Ana's thigh, and standing up settles her on his lap as he sits on the bed. "I want you to be on top this time." He whispers.

Christian's eyes, dark and full of lust, quickly changes into worried when he sees Ana's eyes fill with tear. She's retracted her hands, and she tries to move off his lap when Christian gently stops her.

"Hey, hey." He murmurs, hands stroking her back. "Shhhh…tell me what's wrong?"

"I…never…been on top…I don't want…to…don't know how…."

"Hey." Christian's voice distracts her, his hand is still on her back, the pressure grinding her. "Is that why you're upset? You don't want to be on top?"

Ana nods her head, more tears dripping down her cheeks. "I've never…I feel more comfortable on the bottom…you're being so gentle…I…I…don't know how…"

"shhhh…." Christian whispers, wiping away some tears. "No need to be afraid darling, you can do nothing wrong, not now, not ever, ok? If you really feel this uncomfortable with topping, then we won't do that ok? I just thought you might want to, try something different, but we won't ok? Not until you're more comfortable with everything.

Rolling over, Christian kisses her lips, "Do you want to continue?"

Ana sniffs. "Yeah, sorry I ruined the mood, everything was so perfect…"

Smiling, Christian bends down and kisses her again. "You didn't ruin everything, plus we'll have to make this one up then…" and Ana can't help but giggle when he winks.

"Better?" Christian asks when he's on top of Ana, his leans on his forearms to keep most of his weight off of her as he kisses her, and Ana wraps her arms around him as he gently rolls into him.

"Much."


	12. Chapter 12

Dear Beautiful readers:

I am so extremely sorry for such a late response to reviews and PM asking updates for this story, College has been a lot busier than I expected and I don't have nearly enough time to write as I used to. Also recently, (I'm not trying to make up excuses or anything) but I have been struggling with a lot of personal issues and depression, and I just didn't have it in me to continue the story. I am truly sorry, and I promised myself I will never be one of those authors who left their story/stories unfinished. I have recently made a commitment to myself to continue to write, I don't know if the FSOG fan-fiction community is still out there (I really hope you guys are ;) ), but I basically have two options at this point, continue with Tinted Rose, but in all honesty, the original inspiration I had for this story is gone, but I can continue to finish it (probably just another couple of short chapters) or I can start a whole new story? Either way though, I will make sure I have the majority part written before I start posting, and summer is FINALLY here which means I have a lot more time on my hands. What do you guys think?

Love, Lauren.


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